NECTAR
by Yuki The Rat
Summary: After Black Haru attacks and nearly kills Akito, Yuki moves home to the main house in order to protect Haru from Akito’s wrath, but who is going to protect Yuki from Akito? Pairings HaruMomiji, YukiAkito, YukiKakeru, Kyo? Ch. 10 - Up
1. Crimson snow

Disclaimer:  I do not own Fruits Basket or it's characters.  It belongs to Takaya Nasuki.  

Hello:  

Well, I reposted this story, because it was desperately in need of a good edit, and as luck would have it I found a fabulous new editor who was nice enough tolerate me, and fix things up nice and neat, **awintersrose** please take a bow.  She is an excellent writer too and has written one of the best Kyo/Uo lemons this girl has ever read.  It's called Lovecats, sorry ff.net loyalist, it can only be found on mediaminer.org.  I highly recommend that you check it out if you get a chance.  

I would also like to dedicate this story to my fellow lover of Fruits Basket yaoi, **Kativa-chan**; she writes some really wonderful stories, herself.  They inspire me to new evil heights.  Thank you, Kativa-chan for being my yaoi muse, and for putting the idea for Nectar's pairings into my easily encouraged little mind.   

And of course a big THANK YOU to everyone for reading & reviewing.

I should also let you know that this story is yaoi.  **This is your only warning**, boys will kiss, and whatnot in this story, so if you don't like yaoi, go read my other story. Ah… never mind, that one has some yaoi in it now too, what the heck is wrong with me?  

**NECTAR **

**Chapter One: Crimson Snow**

YUKI * 

I didn't want to be there. I was sitting in Hatori's frigid makeshift hospital with a thermometer poking out of my mouth. Hatori had left me waiting while he performed some indiscernible action on the other side of the cloth curtain. 'This is silly,' I thought. Hatori had always tried to make this one room office seem like something more. He tried to build himself up as someone more important than he actually felt he was. Being Doctor Sohma had never been enough for Hatori, and I supposed that I really couldn't blame him. He had gotten stuck with being the caregiver, as he certainly didn't choose such a life.  I, at least, was able to escape. I was even able to find a strange semblance of normalcy. Sadly, Hatori was one of Akito's personal slaves, and he would remain as such until the day of Akito's inevitable demise. 

Feeling utterly bored, I gazed out the window, my eyes flooded with an ocean of white. It was snowing heavily. What initially appeared to be a brief flurry had started immediately after I arrived, but the snowfall didn't appear that it would ever let up. 

Aside from the boredom, I was also pissed off. That damn dog had left me stranded here over three hours ago, saying "Don't worry, Yuki. I'll be back to pick you up in just a couple of hours. I'm going to pop into town to visit Aya for a bit." Now the snow was falling hard, and I would probably be forced to spend the night at the main house. "Fuck." I whispered, and leaned back into the hospital bed. 

"HATORI!!! HELP US! HURRY! PLEASE!" A frantic cry pierced the blanketing silence.

Startled, I bolted up from the hospital bed. The scream had come from outside, from the snow covered garden of the main house. 'That was Haru!' I realized, spitting the thermometer from shaky lips. It dropped upon the wooden floor with a shatter, glass and droplets of mercury scattering across the tile. I hardly noticed. I could only hear the sound of pain in Haru's voice, an overwhelming black pain, coupled with fear. I flew through the cloth curtain, rushing towards the door, barely avoiding a collision with Hatori. The doctor cut me off, sliding the door open with trembling fingers, and rushing out into the icy cold. 

I rushed toward the main house, my feet sinking into the frozen crystal slush. I was blinded at first. The wind battered my face with its icy fingers, causing my eyes to water and then to freeze. 'Where were they?' I was about to call out, when I found what I was looking for. 

Haru was on his knees in the snow.  He had fallen, dropping a bloody bundle from his arms, and now he was staring at it.  There was so much blood, it mixed with the fresh white snow, and spread outwards like a blossoming rose. There at the center he lay, his tiny effeminate body broken and barely breathing, his blond hair fluttering in the wind. Momiji. 

"No." The words fell from my lips as my feet rushed forward. "Not him." 

Instantly, Hatori lifted Momiji's limp form in his arms, and he passed me, issuing a command. "Bring Haru inside, and hurry." 

Haru hadn't moved. He was lost within a deep state of shock. He just sat there in a daze, shivering, and staring at the empty patch of crimson snow. As I drew closer to him, I noticed that much of the blood appeared to be his. One side of his white hair and his clothes were drenched with it. A large purple bruise was darkening beneath his right eye. 'Who did this?' I wanted to ask, although the answer was whispering icily at my brain. I kept silent, because I didn't want to force him to talk. Haru didn't look like he should be speaking, walking, or moving at all. I gathered him to me, wrapping my arms carefully around his waist. I half carried, half pulled him slowly towards the hospital. Just as we made it to the door, Shigure's car pulled into the drive. 

"Yuki." Haru whispered, as I helped him into an empty bed. On the other side of the room, Hatori was seeing to Momiji. The petite blond lay face down. His eyes closed, unconscious. Hatori cut open his shirt and began examining the wounds on his back. 

"Fucking Akito!" Hatori whispered, as he used a large piece of dampened gauze to clean away the congealing blood, revealing the numerous lash marks that marred the porcelain skin of Momiji's tiny back. 

"My God, what happened?" Shigure asked, as he entered the room. 

"Get over here, Shigure. I need you to bandage these wounds." 

Shigure hurried to Hatori's side. He assumed the task issued to him, allowing Hatori to come to Haru's aid. 

"Yuki, is Haru all right?" Hatori asked, as if I were the doctor and not he. The look on his face surprised me. I had never once seen Hatori look that way. His visage showed a mixture of anger and pain. He looked almost human. 

"I'm fine." Haru whispered, holding tightly to the sleeve of my shirt. He looked away so that I wouldn't notice the tears in his eyes. 

"He's not fine, Hatori. You need to look at the wound on his head. It looks bad." I said, moving my arm, so that Haru would release my sleeve and take my hand instead. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. 

"Ha'ri," Haru cried. "Will Momiji… will he be okay?" 

"Don't worry Haru," I said reassuringly. "He'll be okay." I worriedly looked over at Momiji. I didn't know if I was lying. 

"Momiji will heal." Hatori informed us, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He was at our side now, examining the cut on Haru's head. He pressed a swathe of white gauze over the wound, and placed my hand upon it. "This cut looks worse than it is. Yuki, hold your hand right here." 

Hatori used a pair of sharp scissors to cut open Haru's blood soaked shirt, so that he could examine Haru's ivory skin. There were a number of bruises forming, but no cuts.

"There's too much blood. Where did all this blood come from?" Hatori wondered, the perplexed look upon his face swiftly followed by the dawning of realization. 

"Akito." Haru whispered, bleakly answering the question. "Hatori, I'm not sure, but think that I may have killed him." 

*

End of Chapter One.


	2. Strange Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or it's characters. It belongs to Takaya Nasuki.

Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, and to **awintersrose **for all her help.****

**NECTAR **

**Chapter Two:  Strange Love**

HARU *  (Flashback)

"Come on Haru.  I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!"  Momiji begged of me.

"You should have thought of that before you made your little date with Akito," I told him.  We were standing in the snow out in front of the main house. Momiji had talked me into walking him to Akito's front door, but now I was freezing and in a hurry to be on my way.  

"Oh, you're no fair acting jealous, besides it's only lunch. Why can't we just go ice-skating afterwards? There should still be plenty of time."  He smiled up at me, pleading with those adorable puppy dog eyes. Damn it, why did I have such a hard time saying no to him?

"I need to study. We have a test tomorrow, and besides I heard there is supposed to be a big snowstorm on the way.  I don't want us to get stuck in it."    

"Will you at least come back and walk me home?"  He asked, grabbing my hand and holding it tightly.

"Why don't you just ask Akito to give you a ride home?  Why should I freeze my ass off for you when you would rather spend time with him?"  I regretted my words the moment that they left my mouth. I wasn't being reasonable. By my own choice, Momiji wasn't my boyfriend. I had no right to act this way. 

"Haru, why can't you just admit it? Admit that you're jealous. You hate my friendship with Akito."  

He was completely right. I did hate it, and I was jealous, but I would be damned if I was going to tell him that. I was certain that Momiji's recent interest in the head of the family was entirely for my benefit. Three months ago, I had broken Momiji's heart, and now he was using Akito to get my attention. It was a reckless move on Momiji's part; Akito was not someone to be toyed with.  

"I'm not jealous, Momiji. I just worry about you. You'll get hurt if you're not careful," I warned uselessly. I was the last person in the world that he was going to listen to. The more I tried to keep Momiji away from Akito, the more time he spent at Akito's house. To make matters worse, Akito seemed to have become enamored with my naïve young cousin.  For the last month or so, Akito had been keeping the little rabbit very close at hand, too close for my taste.   

"You worry too much," Momiji laughed at me. "Besides Haru, when you go black you are a hundred times worse than Akito could ever be."  

"You're wrong, Momiji. Akito can be very dangerous. You need to be mindful of what you share with him. Promise me that you will think before you speak." From my relationship with Yuki, I knew exactly what Akito could be like.  Those that he loved the most he tended to punish the worst.  Momiji, whose father had always protected him, could not possibly understand this. My cousin was too trusting, too forgiving, and too innocent.  

"I still say that you're just jealous," Momiji teased. "Akito has a crush on me, and you can't handle it."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," I told him bitterly. Jerking my hand from his, I turned to leave.

"Wait," He called after me.  

"What?" I turned around and caught him as he jumped into my arms.  

"You didn't say goodbye." He pouted, wrapping his arms around my neck and kissing me on my mouth.

"Momiji? Are you insane? Akito will kill us if he sees…" I started to scold him, but he put his finger to my lips and gave me a wink.  

 "Come back and pick me up in a few hours. I want to spend some time with you, Okay?"  

"Uh huh."  I nodded.  I knew that I couldn't win. Once he started kissing me, I was rendered powerless. I pretended not to enjoy it, but we both knew that I did.

"Okay, don't forget, and don't get lost. I'll see you in a while." Ignoring my warning, he gave me another tiny kiss, this time on my nose, before hopping out of my arms, and skipping off into the main house to look for his lunch date.  

The snow was coming down pretty heavily by that time, so I decided to visit Kisa and her mother. Their house was much closer than my own, and I didn't want to put too much distance between Momiji and myself.  I was already missing him, and I was looking forward to seeing him again in a few hours.  Kisa's mom made us hot chocolate, and we all sat under the kotatsu watching anime on the television while Kisa went on and on about the girl she called sissy, Tohru Honda.  

"Sissy was supposed to come over today to help me build a snowman, but Kyo caught a cold, so she had to stay home with him," My young friend informed me. "Stupid cat, that's what he gets for sleeping on the roof." She added in a whisper that sounded so much like Yuki that I couldn't help but smile.  

"Kisa!" Her mother reprimanded, and Kisa's eyes went wide.

"Sorry mom." Kisa apologized.  

"Kisa, You know that it isn't nice to call people stupid?"

"Your mother's right, Kisa." I confirmed, although I secretly agreed with Kisa's assessment. Kyo was a rude fool with a big mouth, and he was making Yuki's life miserable.  

Over the last couple of years Tohru Honda had become both Yuki and Kyo's most coveted obsession. It had started out small, with a lot of innocent flirting, but over the last six months it had gotten out of hand. It was annoying really, watching the two boys blatantly throwing themselves at Tohru, only to have her feign ignorance.   

"Why don't you just ask her out, Yuki?" I had encouraged on my last visit, and Shigure had seconded.   

"What in the world are you two fools going on about?" Yuki asked innocently.

"Don't play stupid, Yuki. It doesn't suit you," I told him, reaching out to tweak his bottom lip. "Everyone knows that you want Tohru, but if you don't hurry up and do something about it you are going to lose her to Kyo."

"Haru's right, Yuki. You need to do something. She's cleaning your bedroom right now, isn't she? Get up there, and make your move." Shigure cheered him on.

"Don't be ridiculous! Miss Honda and I are just friends," Yuki denied, his entire face glowing with embarrassment.  "You two make it sound like something dirty."

This comment, spoken with Yuki's usual air of superiority, sent Shigure into fit of laughter and myself into the concerned friend mode. While I didn't really want to see Yuki and Tohru end up together, I knew for certain that Yuki was in love with her.  

The reason that I knew this was because once upon a time Yuki had been in love with me. When I was fifteen, Yuki and I were together in a truly bizarre affair.  I had fallen in love with Yuki when we were only children, and I spent a large chunk of my life sneaking into Yuki's room to pay him secret visits. Yuki never actually came out and voiced his feelings out loud, but he did allow me to kiss him on several wonderful occasions.  

Yuki was allowed to move out of the main house and into Shigure's because of me.  I was the one who went behind Akito's back and made a deal with Shigure. I wanted Yuki out of that house, away from Akito's eyes and also his hands. I told Shigure that I was doing it to protect Yuki, but the truth was that I did it out of jealousy. Even though I knew that Yuki feared Akito, because Akito kept Yuki locked in that room and abused him constantly, I also knew something else, something that both Yuki and Akito were both too clueless to understand.  Akito did what he did to Yuki out of misdirected love. Akito was in love with Yuki, but he was too immature and homophobic to know how to handle it. Yuki was the number one object of Akito Sohma's affections, and if Yuki remained in that house, Akito was eventually going to wake up. Akito would tell him, or worse, Akito would show him. I couldn't let that happen. So I manipulated the situation.

Unfortunately, this turned out to be my downfall. After escaping the main house and starting a co-ed high school, Yuki dumped me.   

"I'm not your boyfriend, Haru," He informed me on the day that I met him at the teashop outside of the Sohma compound. "I'm sorry if I've given you the wrong impression, but I like girls."

"What are you talking about Yuki?  I thought that you, that we… Yuki, we've kissed, we've done everything but actually have sex together."

"Well, I didn't like it," He said and I knew for certain that he was lying. "I only kissed you because you wanted me to kiss you. It didn't mean anything."

My heart burst. Right there it the middle of the teashop, my soul was shattered in two. Not caring that we were in public, I started to cry.  

"Haru, please don't do that. If someone sees you they'll get the wrong idea. They will think that I have hurt you or something."

"What do you think you just did? You don't think that this hurts?" I asked him.  

"Haru, you're acting like a fool," He said cruelly. "Can't we just sit here and enjoy our tea?"

"Fuck you, Yuki." I told him, as I tossed my cup of tea into his face.

I have no idea what happened next, because I went black. Three weeks later, I woke up to find myself in bed with Rin.  I had remained Black Haru for three whole weeks, and during that time I had apparently asked Rin to be my girlfriend.  

Rin was gorgeous, and I quickly grew to have feelings for her. Thinking about it now, I suppose that I was on the rebound. Unfortunately, Rin turned out to be almost as cruel as Yuki. The moment that I told her that I loved her, she turned me out.  I spent the next six months feeling sorry for myself, and during that time all I could think about was Yuki.  That was when the family started to talk. The rumor was that a girl had moved into Shigure's house, and that Yuki had the hots for her. The rumor turned out to be true.

I knew immediately when I saw them together, that Yuki Sohma was in love. The way that he acted around Tohru, the endless blushing and the polite sweetness, was the same as the way he had acted around me back then. Yuki tried to keep it hidden, but everybody knew.  

Yuki was unbearably insecure, and to make matters worse, he was nearly incapable of defining his emotions; if left to his own devices, he would lose Tohru to Kyo. I didn't want that to happen. Yuki deserved to be happy. On the other hand, I also knew that if Yuki did lose Tohru, it might re-open the door for me. It was because of this, because of my forever waiting for Yuki, that I blew it with Momiji.

Momiji was in love with me. He confessed this to me while we were walking home from school one day, and I had handled it poorly. First of all, I wasn't expecting it; the thought of us together had never even crossed my mind. Secondly, I was certain that at that time, Yuki was the one, and so I turned Momiji down.

"Is it Yuki?" He asked, his beautiful brown eyes filling with tears. "Is that it? You're not over him yet."

"It's mostly about Yuki," I had admitted. "I suppose it's also Rin. I'm still recovering, I guess. The truth is, you've been my best friend for so long, I wouldn't want to ruin it. I'm sorry, Momiji."  

"It's okay," He said, smiling, although he had tears running down his face. "I understand, Haru. You're not in love with me, but can I ask you one favor?"

"Yes, Momiji, what is it?" I answered without thinking. I couldn't stand that I was hurting him; perhaps I could do something to make him feel better. "I will do anything. Just tell me what I can do?"

"A kiss," He said shyly, looking down at his feet. "Just one kiss, and if you don't like it, we never have to do it again.  Just one okay?"

I stared at him, not sure what to do. I had just told him that I would do anything, and I didn't see how one little kiss could be of any harm.  

"Okay, Momiji. Sure." I agreed, and he looked up at me with a giant grin on his face. That grin should have been my cue to run, because I knew how the little rabbit was. Momiji was used to getting his own way, and right now his own way was getting me.  

'He really is very attractive,' I thought to myself, as I leaned down and wiped the tears from his face using the sleeve of my shirt. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he put his lips to mine, and kissed me. His lips were sinfully soft, and although it was obviously his first real kiss, he showed no fear. His tongue worked its way between my parted lips, eagerly searching and exploring, while his hands pushed up underneath my shirt and moved lightly along the skin of my back. I pulled back, breaking the kiss, and looked down upon his gentle face. He was like nectar, so sweet, and so pure. "More," He whispered and pulled me back into his kiss. I moaned, unable to control my desire, and he giggled.  

"You like it," He whispered into my lips. "I'm going to change your mind. I'm planning to steal your heart from Yuki, so be ready."

"No." I whispered back, but I was lying. I already knew that he was right. The kiss was how he got me.   

After that Momiji tortured me. He was already completely adorable; but to make matters worse, he gave up his girly girl attire in favor of a more boyish style, actually it was Yuki's style. Apparently, deciding to dress like Yuki wasn't quite enough, so he also cut his hair; and he got the exact same haircut as Yuki.  In order to steal my heart, Momiji had become a little blond haired Yuki.  The sad thing was that it worked, after that kiss I couldn't help but find him agonizingly desirable, and these other things were just icing on the cake.  I fell head over heels in love with Momiji Sohma. Unfortunately for both of us, so did Akito.

I should have told him as soon as I figured it out. If I had told him, things never would have come to this.  The problem was, I was afraid.  In my life I had fallen in love two times, and both times I had been dumped. Two times I fell in love, and two times my heart was broken.  If I allowed myself to be with Momiji, wasn't I just setting myself up for more pain? Out of sheer selfishness and stupidity, I kept my feelings to myself, and by doing this I placed my purest love into Akito's greedy hands.

**

I awoke to an excruciating pain from deep inside my skull. Since opening my eyes hurt too much, I kept them closed.  What in the hell was wrong with my head? It felt like it was splitting in two, and I was thirsty, so very thirsty. I tried to sit up, but that only made my head hurt worse. What had happened? After leaving Kisa's house, I had walked to Akito's to pick up Momiji. Did I have an accident? Was I run over by a truck?  

No, that wasn't quite right. I actually made it to Akito's house. I found the front door locked and although I knocked, no one had answered. 'They must have gone out for lunch.' I decided. I was about to sit down on the porch to wait when I heard Momiji scream.

Kicking the front door open, I rushed up the hall and ran into Yuki's old room. Momiji was striped down to his underwear. Akito had handcuffed him to the bedpost, and his back was bleeding from numerous lacerations.  

"How dare you tease me you little bastard!" Akito hissed at him. Akito was standing over him, brandishing a thick black whip. He turned to me when I entered the room. "Why are you here, Haru? I don't believe that I invited you. I would like you to leave." Then he smiled and pulled his hand back to ready another strike. That was when I went black.

**

When I returned to myself, Akito was a naked pile of bloody flesh. I wasn't really certain what I had done to him, and I was positive that I didn't want to know. Momiji was unconscious. I found the key to the handcuffs in the pocket of Akito's robe.  Releasing Momiji, I took a moment to quickly dress him. Then I wrapped him up in the blanket from Akito's bed, and I ran out the door screaming for Hatori.

**

 "Haru? Are you awake?" Yuki asked soothingly.  

"Yuki?" I whispered, and forced my eyes open. "My head, it's killing me."

"I'm not surprised. You've been out for quite awhile," Yuki informed me. "Hatori left me these pain pills. He said you might need them when you awoke." He poured some water into a glass, and handed me two small white pills. I put them in my mouth, trying not to choke as the cool water hit my parched throat.  

"Is Momiji okay?" It was late at night, and although the room was darkened and my eyes unfocused, I could see well enough to notice that the other bed appeared to be empty.

"Momiji's right there, in the other bed. He transformed a little while after you fell asleep. Akito hurt him pretty badly; his back will probably be scarred for life, just like mine. Right now, Hatori is more concerned about his mental state than anything else."

"And what about Akito? Did I? Is he?"  

"You didn't kill him, but Hatori said it was a close call.  He won't be up and around anytime soon, but at least he's alive." Yuki said reassuringly, and took my hand into his own. He held it lightly, comfortingly. It brought me peace.

Closing my eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I was so certain that I had killed Akito; there had just been so much blood in that room. Momiji was okay, I had rescued him, and Akito was still alive. Beyond that I didn't want to think about anything. I cleared my mind, hoping that I might return to sleep. I drifted off. I was nearly gone when a loud pop signaled Momiji's return to his human form. 'He's back.' I thought, still drifting, letting the pain pills take their effect, wanting them to take me away.  A moment later Momiji started screaming.

YUKI *

I looked up from the chair that I was resting in as Shigure entered the darkened room.  

"How is Akito?" I asked him in an anxious whisper. Haru and Momiji had just recently fallen back asleep. Momiji had come to a short while ago. He had transformed in his sleep, and awakened with a loud penetrating scream. I had been sitting with Haru at the time, attempting to comfort him. I was literally knocked to the floor as Haru jumped out of his hospital bed and flew to the little blonde's side.  

"Momiji!" Haru had cried, taking him into his arms and attempting to calm him.  

"Haru, Akito…  he." Momiji had started, his eyes full of fear. My heart twisted painfully. I recognized the look in Momiji's eyes, just as I had recognized the marks on his back. I recognized it, because I had lived it. I had no doubt as to what my innocent cousin had suffered through. It was unforgivable. 

"Shhh. Don't worry, Momiji. I'm here. Akito will never hurt you again. Not ever." Haru promised. He picked the smaller boy up into his arms, supporting his naked body against his chest, and crawled into the bed beside him. His hands smoothed Momiji's blonde hair as he rocked him gently in his arms. I sat back in my chair, my eyes filling with tears. I wanted to say something, to do something, but I couldn't. I couldn't find any words.  

"Haru. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," Momiji whimpered, wrapping his arms tightly around Haru's neck and burying his face in Haru's chest. "He saw us, you told me to be careful, but I wasn't. I let him see."

"It's all right, Momiji. Please don't cry anymore. Sleep now. I'll protect you. I love you and I promise, no one will ever hurt you again."

My eyes widened, because I recognized the tone of Haru's voice. It was the same way that Haru had once spoken to me.  It shocked me, even to the point of mild jealousy, to hear him using it with someone else. Haru was in love with Momiji. When had this occurred?

"You love me, Haru? But… but I thought that you said…. You said that you didn't." Momiji told him.   

"I know, Momiji. I lied to you. I've loved you since the first day that we kissed. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have kept it from you for this long. Forgive me."

Haru put his lips against Momiji's, and they kissed each other tenderly. 

I watched them, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment, because they had obviously forgotten that I was there, or perhaps they just didn't really care. I sat in my chair and I watched them as they kissed. I couldn't pull my eyes away. I was entranced by it, by its beauty, by their love. 'That could have been me,' I found myself thinking. If only I hadn't been so scared of my feelings for Haru. If I hadn't been so afraid that Akito would find out.

**

Shigure motioned to me with his head toward the door. He wanted me to follow him outside. I stood up from the chair, grabbed my jacket and stepped into my shoes, before I followed Shigure out into the snow. The storm had let up, but it was still freezing. I shivered as we spoke.  

"Yuki, Hatori sent me over to ask you to come to the main house." Shigure told me.

"WHAT? WHY?" I asked. I hated the main house. Even if Akito was helpless, even if he was near death, it was the last place in the world that I ever wanted to be.

"He's calling for you, Yuki. Hatori has sedated him, but before that, he was calling for you. Yuki, I know how you feel about this, about him. But Akito could still die, Yuki, and he's asking for you."

"I can't," I begged him. "Shigure, please. I can't go into that house. Please don't make me."

"I won't force you to go, Yuki. You know that I won't, but take some time and think about it, okay? If you won't do it for Akito, do it for Haru and Momiji."

"What do you mean?" I wondered, my mind numb with fear at the idea of being anywhere near Akito Sohma. Even if he were dead, I would still fear him. I would always fear him, he had made certain of that.

"Haru beat Akito within an inch of his life, but Hatori believes that Akito will live, and that he will recover completely. If he does, he will most likely want to punish Haru and Momiji. Perhaps if you are there when he wakes up, you can talk some sense into him."

"Since when has Akito ever listened to me? When has he ever cared what I thought?"

"You're right, Yuki. It may not do any good, but whatever you may think of Akito, you know how he truly feels about you. You more than any other, more than Hatori, more than Kureno, you are the one that Akito loves. In that, you have power, you've just been too frightened to use it in the past."

"Why are you saying these things, Shigure? Why must you always speak such nonsense? Akito doesn't love me, all he has ever done is cause me pain."

"Yuki, Akito loves you, he always has. He has just never been taught how to show it."

"And you think that I could teach him? Are you out of your mind? Do you even listen to anything that you say? I won't do it. I'm sorry, but I won't stay here, and you can't make me."

"Okay, but will you at least think about it for awhile?  I will talk to Hatori and let him know that you need some time.  For now, why don't you go back inside the hospital and get some rest, all right?"

"I am not going to change my mind, Shigure."

"I understand, Yuki. We can leave in the morning if that's what you want. For now, just think things over. That is the only thing I will ask. Just tell me you will at least give it some thought."

"I will." I promised in order to get rid of him. I returned to the hospital. I spent my night awake watching Haru and Momiji as they slept. 'Akito loves me?' I wondered. Shigure was insane to think such things. From the moment that we met, all Akito has ever done is hurt me. What kind of a strange love is that? 'I won't do it. I can't.' I insisted. I was still talking myself out of it when Shigure returned in the morning for my answer.

****

End of Chapter Two.


	3. Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or it's characters. It belongs to Takaya Nasuki. 

Once again, thanks for reading, and I am so sorry that I took so long to update, I will try to do better for now on.

And one more thank you to **awintersrose **both for your editing and your great advice, and also to **Smiling Onigiri **for her helpful thoughts and for not trying too hard to set this story straight.  (Pun intended)

**NECTAR **

**Chapter Three: Sacrifice **

YUKI * 

"Good Morning, Yuki," Shigure said quietly as he entered the Hospital, and headed over to check on Haru and Momiji. "How are our two little lovebirds doing?" Shigure asked, as he smiled down upon them. "They really are an adorable couple, aren't they?"   
  
"How long have you known about them?" I asked, feeling a little bit annoyed. I was not surprised that Shigure knew about Haru and Momiji. Shigure had a knack for knowing all of our family's dirty little secrets; I was simply bothered that I myself hadn't known before last night. 

"Actually, Aya just told me about it yesterday." Shigure answered, and bent down to retrieve a blanket that had fallen on the floor. He shook it out and placed it over my two sleeping cousins. 

"My brother knows?" Now that was annoying, why would my brother know when I didn't? 

"Well, apparently Momiji has been going to Aya for relationship advice." 

"He went to my brother!" I exclaimed in surprise. I couldn't think of a worse person than my brother when it came to such things. 

"Well, yeah. Probably not the wisest choice, but Momiji didn't want you to find out. He trusted Aya not to tell you." 

"Why wouldn't he want me to know?" I wondered, a little too loudly. Momiji moaned in his sleep, and kicked the blanket back off, revealing his tiny naked bum to us. Shigure raised his eyebrows and snickered, before gesturing towards the door. I pulled on my jacket and my shoes and followed him outside. 

"So, why wouldn't Momiji want me to know?" I asked again the moment that the door shut behind me. 

"Jealousy." Shigure stated simply, lighting up a cigarette. 

"They thought that I would be jealous? That makes no sense, why in the world would they think something like that? It's insane." 

"Not your jealousy, Yuki. Momiji's jealousy. Haru apparently told Momiji that he was still in love with you. I guess Haru never got over your little forbidden romance." Shigure said with a lustful smile, which I found completely aggravating. Of course Shigure had known about the relationship I had once had with Haru, since the damn dog knew about everything. But did he really have to smile at me like that when he mentioned it? 

"Anyway, let's go inside, Yuki. It's freezing out here, and I'm famished. We can discuss this over breakfast." Shigure said tossing his cigarette into the snow and starting towards the Akito's house. 

"I am not eating breakfast in that house." I told him. 

"Now don't be silly, Yuki, it's only breakfast. If you really don't want to stay, we can leave afterward." Shigure grabbed my hand, attempting to coax me along. 

"No!" I told him and stood my ground. "I've made my decision, and I won't do it. You're not going to talk me into staying here, with…. with… him. I'd like to go home now if you don't mind." 

Shigure stopped walking and for a moment I saw something in his face that I had never expected to see. Was Shigure actually angry with me? Impossible. Shigure didn't get angry; in all the years that I had known him, I couldn't remember a single instance in which Shigure had gotten mad. "Fine then, let me run inside and let Hatori know what you've decided. You can wait for me in the car." Pulling his keys out of his pocket, he threw them at me, hard. They smacked painfully against my chest before dropping to the ground. He really was angry. 

* 

Miss Honda had made pancakes for breakfast and the four of us sat under the kotatsu eating in silence. Kyo was acting strangely, I noticed. I watched him as he picked at his plate of food. Normally Kyo loved Miss Honda's pancakes; however, today he was acting as if they might be poisoned. Miss Honda was also behaving differently. Like Kyo she wasn't eating, but she had cut up her pancake into neat little chunks and was now in the process of pushing the chunks around on her plate. She was probably worried about Momiji and Haru, I decided, though it didn't explain the stupid cat's behavior. I was also unable to determine exactly what I had done to piss Shigure off. 

"So then, Shigure, what's wrong? Are you upset with me for not wanting to stay with Akito?" I had asked him as we drove home. 

"Upset? Me?" He countered. Although he was smiling, I could tell it was forced. "Why would I be upset about that?"   
  
"Well, you don't seem yourself." I told him. 

"I'm fine." He insisted, and so I simply nodded. 

Shigure wasn't fine. Even now, as we sat eating breakfast, his face held an uncharacteristic scowl. 

I stood up silently, grabbed my empty plate from the table, and walked it to the kitchen. I rinsed it off in the sink, and turned to find Miss Honda standing behind me with tears in her eyes. 

"Will they be alright?" She asked me softly, taking the plate from my hand and sitting it aside. "When Shigure called, he said that they were going to be okay, but I've been so worried and…" 

"Momiji and Haru are fine." I assured her, lifting my hand to her cheek to wipe away her tears. 

"And Akito?" She wondered, reaching up to take my hand and holding it tightly in hers. "Shigure said that he isn't doing so well." 

"No, I suppose that he isn't." I admitted, bristling slightly at the mention of Akito's name. 

"Is it true that Akito is calling for you?" 

"Yes," I said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "But don't worry, I already told Shigure that I refused to see him." Inwardly, I debated on how she would take it if I were to kiss her right now. Over the past few months, I thought about kissing her almost constantly, and when she was this close it was almost impossible to keep myself in check. The reason I didn't do it was that I was certain of what would happen if I were to act in such a manner. 'She wouldn't like it. She'd hate it. It would be a mistake.' No, our friendship was too important to me to take the chance of risking it. 

"Why won't you see him, Yuki?" She wondered. "If Akito is hurt, if he might die, shouldn't you be there for him? Yuki, if Akito needs you…" 

"You too, Miss Honda?" I said dryly, releasing her hand and stepping away. Of course she would see things that way. Unlike me, Miss Honda put the happiness of others before herself. She wasn't a selfish person, like I was. Miss Honda was special; I wasn't even in the same league as she was. 

"Yuki, I just think…" 

"I don't want to stay at the main house." I informed her. "I've made up my mind, and I'd rather we didn't discuss it any further." I walked from the kitchen, and headed up the stairs to my room. Once inside, I locked the door, slipped out of my clothes and crawled between the sheets. Outside, the morning sky was just starting to come alive, but I was tired from staying up all night; furthermore, I had no intention of dealing with my stupid family anymore today. I lay upon my bed, staring up at my ceiling and allowing my mind to drift. I thought about Miss Honda, and I again found myself wondering what her lips would feel like against mine. However, when I actually fell asleep, my mind took a sharp turn. I ended up dreaming about my first kiss, and about the boy who had given it to me. 

* 

"Yuki… Yuki, are you awake?" I opened my eyes, and frowned at my fifteen-year-old cousin who had just crawled into bed with me. 

"Haru? You shouldn't be here. I told you, it's not a good idea. If Akito catches you…" Before I could finish, Haru had pulled off his T-Shirt, tugged open my robe, and wrapped himself in my arms. 

"Shh… be quiet Yuki. You know that Akito doesn't scare me. I've missed you, and I've decided that I'm going to spend the night. So lay back down, okay? I want to watch you sleep." I let out a soft sigh; you couldn't fight Haru when he was like this. I had tried that route the first couple of times that he had pulled this type of stunt, and both times Haru had nearly went black on me. It was simply much safer to just let him have his way, if Haru went black then Akito might hear him, and I didn't even want to imagine how Akito would react to catching Haru inside my room. 

"Fine then, goodnight Haru." I sighed, as I closed my eyes, pretending to ignore the feel of his silky skin pressing gently against my own. It was hard to ignore him, impossible in fact, and soon I felt his hands traveling along my chest. 

"Haru, go to sleep." I whispered, although a part of me was enjoying this, the part of me that always enjoyed it. I loved the way Haru's fingers felt as they rubbed against my naked skin. At that point in my life, only two people had ever touched me: one had been Akito, whose touch had always brought me immense pain; and the other was Haru, whose touch had always brought me complete delight. 

"Can I kiss you, Yuki?" He whispered into my ear. 

"No." I answered with an embarrassed smile. This was the second part of Haru's little game. Part one, crawl in bed with your desperate cousin. Part two, beg said cousin for kisses. Part three, get turned down and pout until you finally fall asleep. Part four, leave said cousin wide-awake and wondering why he hadn't done what he really wanted and just said yes. 

"Please, Yuki? Just one kiss." Haru begged. 

"No, Haru. Now go to sleep, I'm tired." 

"If you let me have a kiss, I'll go to sleep, I promise." Haru pleaded. His tongue gently ran along my ear, causing a shiver to course through my soul. 

"Haru, we can't." I whispered, loving the feel of his breath in my ear. 

"Please, please, please." He whispered huskily, gently nipping at my earlobe. 

"Haru," I mumbled and pretended to try to push him away. 

"Please, just a little one." He pleaded, and now he was licking me along my neck. 

"Okay." I gave in, surprising myself. 

"What?" He pulled back and stared at me as if I had lost my mind. The look on his face made me want to laugh, but of course I didn't. He had simply never expected me to give my consent. "Really, Yuki? You'll really let me kiss you?" 

I nodded slowly, wondering if I was making a mistake. His arms wrapped around me tightly, bringing us even closer as his lips brushed across my cheek on their way to my mouth. My heart was pounding loudly, and I was worried that he would notice. I had wanted to kiss Haru for a very long time, and it was completely terrifying. 

Haru lips grazed over mine tentatively, his eyes wide and staring down at me. "Close your eyes, Yuki." He whispered, and my already speeding heart went immediately into overdrive.

"Why?" I wondered, but did as he had asked. 

"Because your eyes are too beautiful, and when you look at me it makes me nervous." He answered, and his mouth closed over mine. 

I made Haru nervous; the simple thought of this brought me so much joy. Haru was gorgeous, fearless, and everything that I was not. Whenever I was in his company, it scared me to death. This was not because I was worried Haru would hurt me.  I had never feared Haru's black side; in my heart I knew Haru could never cause me pain. What I feared, what actually frightened me, was that I might do something foolish in Haru's presence, something that would make him dislike me. I was very much in love with Haru, and I was terribly afraid that I would lose him.  Worst of all, if Haru were to stop visiting me, then I would be left alone inside that room with only Akito for company. 

Haru's lips pushed greedily against mine, swallowing my mouth, and I wondered if there was something more that I needed to do. Should I touch him the way he was touching me? His hands felt so amazing on my body, as his fingers played along my stomach and then moved lower to rub against me, to touch that place that I so wanted him to touch. I sighed into his lips and opened my mouth to allow his tongue inside. A moment later, when my body was shuddering against his, he pulled back and looked down at me with his sexiest smile. I moved my hand down his stomach, meaning to touch him the same way that he had touched me, but he grabbed my hand and brought it up to his lips. 

"I love you, Yuki," Haru whispered. "I'll never love anyone else." 

* 

I awoke with tears in my eyes and I searched my empty bed with sleepy hands. It was only a dream. Haru wasn't here. Haru would never again share my bed, because I had made certain of that. 

"I'm not your boyfriend, Haru," I had told him a long time ago. "I'm sorry if I've given you the wrong impression, but I like girls." 

Those words were neither a lie, nor the complete truth. I did like girls, of that I was sure. With the way that they all made such a fuss about me, what was there not to like? The only thing was, I was also apparently attracted to guys, because I was head over heels in love with my cousin. The problem was that regardless of how I felt about Haru, I also understood that being an openly gay high school student was not an acceptable practice.  After finally being allowed to move out of the main house, I was starting a new life. I was at a new school, meeting new people, and what I wanted most of all was to fit in.  There was also Akito to be considered.  If Akito ever found out that Haru and I were in love I was certain that he'd force me to move back into that house, back to that room.  It was completely selfish of me, but to protect myself from Akito's wrath, and assure my high school popularity, I purposely broke Haru's heart.  The selfish rat became Prince Yuki, a title I secretly treasured. Soon after that, I met Miss Honda. If I had regrets, it was easy to deny them...until today. 

*

End of Chapter Three, read and review, see you in Chapter Four.  Which will not take as long as this chapter did, thank you. 

YTR


	4. Secrets & Lies

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or it's characters. It belongs to Takaya Nasuki.  
  
Hello again:  
  
First of all to my dear editor, **awintersrose**, THANK YOU, SO MUCH!!!! She really helped me to pull this chapter together and added just the right bit of everything that it needed to make it exactly perfect. At least I like it, and hope that you will too.  
  
Also to **Smiling Onigiri**, thanks for all of your helpful suggestions, and for putting up with me.  
  
And as always, Thank you to my dear loyal readers... who know that I love it when you read and also review... cause I do... you make me smile, and smiling is good.  
  
And a final note: This chapter includes the wonderful FB character Kakeru Manabe, who I simply adore, he joins the FB crew in volume 9 of the manga, although the first Kakeru sighting was in volume 7. For any of you who are not familiar with Kakeru he is Yuki's cute friend in the Student Council. Anyone who is dying to know what he looks like can drop me an e-mail and I will be happy to send you a Picture. He's so hot! I simply love him.  
  
Well, then, read on:  
  
**NECTAR  
  
Chapter Four: Secrets & Lies**

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**YUKI   
**  
As I stepped out of my bedroom, my nostrils were assaulted by the pungent scent of leek soup. Imagining how Kyo would react when he discovered what Tohru was making for breakfast, I smiled and headed down the stairs to the dining room.  
  
Miss Honda was bent over before the kotatsu ladling out large bowls of steaming soup. Since she hadn't yet noticed me, I stood back for a moment, and silently watched her at work. The school uniform that she wore was ridiculously short, and my present position was allowing me a tantalizing glimpse of the pale pink lace panties underneath. 'Why are you looking?' My better half screamed at me. 'Because she's hot.' The rest of me screamed back. I had been living with the temptation of Miss Honda's unbearably short skirts for far too long, and it was apparently starting to have an effect on me.  
  
"Why are you making that crap?" Kyo's voice came bellowing down from the top of the stairway. I quickly averted my eyes from Miss Honda's bottom, and turned to see my irate cousin storming down the stairs. "I hope it's not for me, 'cause you know I won't eat it."  
  
"Well, actually..." Miss Honda mumbled, but was cut off by Shigure, who stuck his head out of his bedroom door to yell down at us.  
  
"Don't be mean to Tohru, Kyo. I asked her to make it." Shigure explained.  
  
"Shigure isn't feeling well." Miss Honda added.  
  
"Shigure's ill?" I asked. "So that was what was wrong with him yesterday. I noticed he didn't seem himself."  
  
"He has a cold." Miss Honda confirmed.  
  
"Oh sure, that asshole gets sick and the rest of us have to suffer for it?" Kyo grumbled. I whipped out my hand and slapped Kyo hard across the face. "What the hell was that for?" Kyo growled at me.  
  
"Well, maybe if you had just stayed in bed while you were sick this weekend, Shigure wouldn't have a cold. He probably caught it from you, you selfish cat. Now sit the hell down and eat some soup." I pushed Kyo towards the table.  
  
"No way am I eating that shit." Kyo hissed at me. "Are you trying to make me puke?"  
  
"I said, eat it." Grabbing Kyo by the hair with one hand, I forced a spoonful of soup into his mouth.  
  
"That's okay, Yuki." Miss Honda soothed, as Kyo spit the soup across the table. "I made Kyo chicken soup, here let me go get it."  
  
"Don't bother, I'll just get something to eat at school." Kyo growled. Pulling away from me, he darted angrily out the door, barefooted. A short moment later, muttering incoherent curses, he rushed back to grab his shoes from the doorway, only to hurry off again.  
  
"That jerk." I said. "I don't know why he has to act that way."  
  
"Don't be too hard on Kyo." Miss Honda softly whispered to me.  
  
"Miss Honda? What's wrong?" I asked her. "Why are you crying?"  
  
"It's nothing." She told me, as she forced a smile to her face. "Yuki, could you do me a favor and take notes for me in class today?"  
  
"You're skipping school, Miss Honda? Are you feeling ill? Do you also have a cold?" I wondered, concernedly raising my hand to her forehead. "You don't have a fever, but..."  
  
"It's not that, Yuki. I'm not sick." She explained, as she gently brushed my hand away. "I'm just feeling a little tired is all, and I think that I'd like a day off."  
  
"I see." I said. "I'll be happy to take notes for you then, but are you sure you're all right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, Yuki." Miss Honda assured me. "Here, I'll go get your breakfast."  
  
"Actually, Miss Honda... I'm sorry, but I don't really have time to eat. I'm expected at a student council meeting this morning, and I'm already running behind." I apologized, as I sat down to put on my shoes.  
  
"Well, at least take some fruit." She said, and handed me an apple from the fruit bowl on the table.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Honda." I said, and grabbed my backpack up, before turning to her. "I'll see you when I get home." She grinned at me, and I once more found myself fighting off the desire to kiss her.  
  
"Yes, I'll see you tonight, Yuki." Turning from me, she picked up two uneaten bowls of soup and headed for the kitchen.  
  
Taking one last look at her, I walked out the door.

----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Yo, ratboy, wait up." Kyo called to me as I entered the school cafeteria.  
  
"What do you want?" I asked him, not bothering to stop. I missed breakfast, I was starving, and I certainly wasn't in the mood for Kyo's nonsense.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about Tohru." He said, grabbing me by the shoulder and forcing me to wait.  
  
"What about Miss Honda?" I asked and waited impatiently, while Kyo stared silently at the bottle of juice he was holding. "What about Miss Honda?" I repeated louder.  
  
"I was just wondering why she didn't come to school today."  
  
"She's decided to say home. Apparently, she's not feeling well." I told him, my patience wearing thin.  
  
"I'll bet." Kyo said crossly, and I had to hold myself back from punching him.  
  
"What's your problem?" I asked. "Did you and Miss Honda have a falling out?"  
  
"What do you care?" Kyo mumbled and raised his head defiantly. Now I noticed that Kyo's eyes were red rimmed and blood shot. Had Kyo been crying?  
  
"Kyo, are you okay?" I asked more kindly. I didn't really want to get into this with him. I had worries of my own, and I really just wanted to grab some lunch and find Kakeru. Once again, my Vice President couldn't be bothered to show up for this morning's meeting, and I was feeling a little annoyed at him for it. But on top of that, I missed him. I simply wanted to spend my lunch hour with my friend, and I could really care less about Kyo and his problem. Unfortunately, whatever was bothering Kyo was also affecting Miss Honda, and thus it became my problem as well.  
  
"It's nothing." Kyo grumbled, and stared down at his feet.  
  
"Fine then." I said, and started to leave.  
  
"Well, it's just that I don't want to talk about it here." Kyo admitted.  
  
"Come on, then." I said, and lead the way out of the cafeteria and down the hall to the student council meeting room.

**----------------------------------  
  
KAKERU**   
  
"Okay then, here we are." The sweet sound of Yun Yun's gentle voice penetrated my dreams.  
  
"What about him?" And who was that? I recognized that voice as well, but couldn't quite place it.  
  
"Ignore him, he's not important." Yuki said. Now that was insulting! I should have said something, but that would have meant getting up, and I was quite comfortable just as I was.  
  
"Why is he even here? And sleeping! Is he always like that?" The other asked.  
  
'Hey I belong here.' I thought to myself 'I am the Vice President. Why are you here?'  
  
"Don't worry about him, Kyo. You said you wanted to talk about Miss Honda, now talk. I don't have all day." Aha! So it was Kyo, Yun Yun's orange haired cousin, and they were going to talk about her, that girl that they were both so infatuated with. Now this could get good.  
  
"She's in love with him." Kyo said in a low voice. "With Shigure."  
  
"Excuse me?" Yuki questioned. "What in the hell are you saying, you stupid cat? Miss Honda and Shigure? Are you out of your mind? She would never."  
  
"She does, you moron! She said it herself." Was that a growl? Did Yun Yun's cousin actually growl at him? "The night that you stayed at the main house, I told Tohru how I felt about her...and she told me that she's in love with Shigure."  
  
"WHAT?" Yuki hollered, and I opened my eyes just a crack, because I had to see the look on Yun Yun's face. Denial, just as I expected. "That's insane. Miss Honda and Shigure? It's crazy. Shigure's too old for her, and he wouldn't..." and then dawning. "Of course he would. Shigure, that fucking bastard!"  
  
"It's true." Kyo whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "They're together now, they're a couple."  
  
"I'll kill him. I'm seriously going to kill that perverted bastard." Yuki yelled, and stormed towards the door, only to be tackled by his cousin.  
  
"What in the fuck are you doing? Get off of me!" Yuki screamed at him.  
  
"Did you not hear me, rat boy? Tohru's in love with him! We can't do anything about it. They are in love with each other."  
  
"Go away." Yuki whispered, and pushed his cousin aside. Kyo stood up and offered his hand out to Yuki, only to have it slapped away. "I said go away, Kyo. Get the hell out of here. I want to be alone."  
  
As Kyo turned to leave, and Yuki broke down and cried, I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep once more. What I really wanted to do was to go to him. I wanted to take him in my arms and comfort him, but there were so many reasons that I didn't. First of all, Yuki Sohma, my adorable Yun Yun, was straight. He would never tolerate such attentions from another guy. Worse than that, I couldn't even imagine how angry it would make Yuki if he discovered that I had been eavesdropping on such a personal conversation. As cute as he was, Yun Yun wasn't a guy that you would ever want to piss off.

**-----------------------------------------------------------**  
**YUKI   
**  
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break.  
  
'I need to get to class.' I decided, and yet I didn't want to move from my space on the floor. 'You told Miss Honda that you would take notes for her.' The decent part of me remembered, and I pictured her tearstained face from this morning. 'This isn't easy for her, either. It's probably killing her that she's causing Kyo so much pain.' I realized. 'And, I guess, I can understand her not wanting to be with that cat, but what in the hell would make her choose Shigure over me?'  
  
Pulling myself to my feet and brushing the chalk dust from my uniform pants, I glanced over at my still-sleeping Vice President.  
  
'That guy can sleep through anything.' I thought to myself, and that single thought, coupled with the simple feeling of happiness that I got whenever I was anywhere near Kakeru, made me feel just a little bit better.  
  
'How long have I felt this way about him?' I wondered, as I moved across the room and sat down beside him. He was one of my three closest friends, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a crush on him. If only he wasn't a guy... But does it really matter?  
  
'Yes, because I'm not gay!' I reminded myself. 'I'm in love with Miss Honda. She might not be in love with me, but that doesn't make me any less straight.'  
  
'But he really is cute, isn't he?' Something hidden deeper within me considered thoughtfully. It had always been that way with me, there was a side that I showed to others and a side that I hid away. If anyone ever really knew about the true me, the me that I kept locked away...  
  
If they only knew what I was feeling right now...  
  
Leaning forward, I pushed a strand of thick black hair out of Kakeru's face, before moving in, even closer. 'He's not cute, he's actually gorgeous.' I realized. I had never been this close to him, so near that I could almost taste him. If I could just lean in a tiny bit more... Holding my breath, and closing my eyes, I gingerly pressed my lips to his. 'Soft!' How could a boy's lips ever be this soft? Or feel this amazing? A tiny groan escaped me, as my body came alive. 'This was... This is wonderful... He's so... He's...' I opened my eyes, so that I could see him. I wanted to see the face of the boy that I was kissing. As my eyes were met by a pair of sleepy gray orbs, cruel reality set in. Hard. Kakeru's eyes were wide open, which meant... 'He's... AWAKE!'

**--------------------------------------------------------**  
  
End of chapter four, see you in chapter five. : )  
  
And please let me know what you think of the story so far.  
  
YTR


	5. Finding Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or it's characters. It belongs to Takaya Nasuki.  
  
To all of you, thanks for taking the time to read my little love story. A few of you wonder about the Yuki/Akito aspect of this story, am I changing my pairings? Well, I did promise **Kativa-chan** a Yuki/Akito, and I don't like to go back on my promises... and yet Kakeru is just so damn cute! Shouldn't we let Yuki play around just a little bit? I think he deserves it, and Akito is unconscious after all. (wink, wink)  
  
Thanks once again to my editor, **awintersrose**, for doing a great job, coming up with wonderful ideas, and turning my chapters around so quickly, as well as for being a wonderful inspiration. I just like her so much; she's such a nice person.  
  
**NECTAR  
  
Chapter Five: Finding Truth**

**---------------------------------------------------  
  
YUKI**   
  
'WHAT DID I DO? WHAT DID I JUST DO?' I jumped backwards, smacking my knee on the bottom of the desk in the process, and stared down into Kakeru's eyes.  
  
"Yuki?" Kakeru said, a drowsy confused look covering his lovely face. "Why did you?"  
  
"I'm sorry." I whispered. It was all that I could think of to say, so I said it and then I ran. I needed to get out of that room, and away from Kakeru, before he completely awakened and realized what had just happened.  
  
"Yuki, wait." I heard Kakeru calling after me as I sprinted up the halls toward the exit.  
  
'I should stop.' I decided. 'I should explain myself, and apologize to him.' Yes, that was precisely what I should do, but it wasn't what I was going to do. Nope, what I was going to do was run away. It was, after all, what I did best. I'd spent my entire life running away. First from Akito and the main house, and then from my feelings for Haru. Yes, it was simply who I was, such an inherent part of me that one could probably consider the act of running to be a natural part of my genetic makeup. Even now, as I kissed Kakeru, I was running. That was the only thing that made any sense. I was straight; I wasn't gay, so why else would I kiss Kakeru? I was running away from my feelings for Miss Honda, I was simply running away.  
  
'So why stop now?' I rationalized, and continued through the high school's thick wooden doors and into the snowy parking lot.  
  
I had absolutely no desire to face Kakeru. Not now, and perhaps not ever again. After all, what could I possibly say to him? How could I ever explain what I had just done? 'What in the world caused me to do such a disgusting thing?' He's my best friend, and now he probably thinks that I'm a total pervert, sexually assaulting him in his sleep like that. It was inexcusable.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with me?" I dropped to my knees in the snow ignoring the cold and the icy wetness that immediately seeped through to my skin. I was completely out of breath, and I simply could not go on, not even for another moment. I would rest for a minute and then I would head home. I wanted to talk to Miss Honda. I needed to make certain that what Kyo had told me was true. In addition to that, there was one other thing that I needed to clarify within my mind. It was one small, but important question that I required to have answered, and Miss Honda was the only person who could do it.

**------------------------------------------------------------  
  
KAKERU   
**  
"He kissed me?" I could not help but whisper these words to myself, as I hurried after Yuki. "Yun Yun actually kissed me."  
  
I was smiling, even though it was apparent that Yuki was already regretting his actions. I simply couldn't help but find the whole thing amusing. 'Hello! Yuki Sohma, the dream boy of every girl at Kaiwaia High is in reality gay, or at the very least bi.' Even more amusing, he wanted me. This was too perfect. If only he hadn't freaked out about everything and took off. Why did he always have to take things so damn seriously? So what if my very first kiss was stolen from me? As long as it was Yun Yun doing the stealing I certainly didn't mind, not in the least. It was nothing for him to get all worked up over.  
  
I hurried out through the doors, and stopped to look around. 'Now, where did he go?' Spotting him, sitting in the snow on the other side of the parking lot, I was about to head that way when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. Turning, I looked into the angry eyes of my homeroom teacher, Miss Shiraki.  
  
"Kakeru, I assume you have a good reason for being out of class?" I smiled, using my most charming smile, the one that tended to work quite well whenever I really needed to get my own way.  
  
"I was feeling a little faint and decided that I needed some fresh air." I lied.  
  
"Well, Kakeru, I might actually believe that if I hadn't saw you running like a madman through the halls just moments ago."  
  
Busted!  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Yuki had gotten up from his place on the ground and was running again. Damn! I was too late. I would just have to track him down and talk to him later; besides, there was no reason for both of us to get detention. Bowing respectfully to my teacher, I resigned myself to my fate.

**-----------------------------------------------------  
  
MOMIJI   
**  
Even in my sleep I could feel it. The pain in my back was agonizing, and yet at the same time I felt warm and comforted. Had I died? Was that it? Had Akito killed me?  
  
My eyes flew open the moment his name crossed my mind. 'Akito!'  
  
I quickly relaxed, as I realized that Haru was beneath me, holding me gently in his wonderfully strong arms. I smiled when his eyes peeked opened, slightly and only for a moment, before closing again.  
  
"Good morning." He whispered, pulling me a little tighter against his chest.  
  
"Wah..." I grimaced, as a bolt of pain shot up my back. Haru immediately pulled his arms away, and opened his eyes guiltily.  
  
"Your back? I'm sorry, Momiji. I wasn't thinking. How can I be such an idiot? I hurt you?"  
  
"No." I lied. "I'm okay." I grinned happily as his dark eyes filled with relief and his arms went around me again, lower this time, to the one place that Akito's whip hadn't damaged. I blushed, as his hands rested warmly against the naked skin of my buttocks. It felt amazing, but...  
  
"Haru, um... that's my butt." Just saying such a silly thing made me giggle, and that in turn made me feel childish. As hard as I tried, I couldn't seem to grow up. I was always saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing. I hated it. It was bad enough that I still looked like a twelve year old kid; I shouldn't act like one as well.  
  
"I know. It feels nice." Haru whispered, and nuzzled his face against my neck, while his hands tenderly fondled me. "Does this bother you? Should I stop?"  
  
"No." I admitted. It did feel nice, and I was certain that I didn't want him to stop, but then again. Opening my eyes, I took in our surroundings. "Haru? We're at the hospital?" I pulled away from Haru and brushed his hands aside.  
  
"What's wrong?" Haru wondered, and caught me, before I could jump out of the bed. "Where are you going? You shouldn't be up yet."  
  
"Haru, we can't, not here. If Akito finds out, if he catches us." I groaned in agony, and relaxed back into his chest, because moving quickly like that had caused me immense pain.  
  
"Don't worry about Akito." Haru told me, and my eyes went wide as I suddenly remembered. I remembered everything. Akito's anger, the beating, and Black Haru. Black Haru had... he had, saved me, but...  
  
"Haru? You..." My eyes filled with tears. "Is Akito... is he..." I couldn't say it. In that room, before I blacked out, I had witnessed everything. I knew exactly what Black Haru had done to Akito. It was horrible. If Akito lived through that, if Black Haru hadn't killed him, then both of us were as good as dead. Akito would never allow us to get away with it. We had committed the worst sin a Sohma could commit. We had dared to go against the head of the family.  
  
"He didn't die." Haru said, and his own dark eyes mirrored my thoughts. "Black Haru didn't kill him."  
  
"We're in trouble, aren't we Haru?" I asked. This was my fault. Everything that had happened was because of me, because I had wanted Haru for myself, and I had played with fire in order to get him.  
  
"No, Momiji. We're not. I am. I promise you that no matter what, I won't let Akito hurt you. Black Haru's the one that..."  
  
"NO!" I yelled at him. There was no way I would allow him to pay for what I had caused. "I won't allow you to blame yourself, Haru. What happened, all of it... it was me. I started this whole mess. I was stupid and jealous, and I won't let you take the blame."  
  
"Stop that, Momiji." Haru said gently, and placed a tiny kiss upon the tip of my shoulder. "It doesn't matter who started it, or why. All that matters is that Black Haru, that I, screwed up. The consequences are mine, not yours, they belong completely to me."  
  
"But, Haru..." I began, and was promptly stopped as Haru's lips enclosed mine. His tongue slid into my mouth and his hands found their way back to my bottom, only now they squeezed me possessively, and pulled me tightly to him. The feeling, a warm spreading sensation, covered me inside. When Haru broke our kiss, when he pulled back and looked up into my eyes, I saw that he was crying.  
  
"Haru, I'm sorry, it's my..." I tried again to tell him that it wasn't his fault, that I would not allow him to be punished for my sins, but he brought our lips back together, silencing me. Deciding that telling him could wait, that maybe when we were not like this, pressed against each other so close, then maybe he would listen. For now, what I had wanted, the thing that had gotten us both into this mess in the first place, was actually mine. Haru was holding me in his arms and kissing me in a way that I had always needed him to. For the moment that was enough.

**-------------------------------------------------------  
YUKI**   
  
"Yuki? Why are you home from school already?" Miss Honda asked, as I stepped through the door. She was sitting, school book in hand, underneath the warmth of the kotatsu. Without even thinking, I plopped down next to her, pushing my frozen legs beneath the table, and breathlessly laying down flat on my back. This in itself was heaven. For the moment, being next to her, defrosting myself and catching my breath, was enough to bring me joy.  
  
"Are you okay? Is it your asthma? I'll get Shigure." Miss Honda said, her gentle voice full of caring, full of something that sounded so very much like love.  
  
"No!" I insisted, and grabbed her by the hand, before she could stand. "Don't go, Miss Honda."  
  
"Yuki?" She asked, and leaned over, her big blue eyes filled with concern. Miss Honda was always like that, always worrying about me. Why did she worry like that if she didn't really care about me, if it was only Shigure that she loved?  
  
"Miss Honda." I whispered. Inside of me, my heart was pounding so fast, and it hurt, it actually hurt to look at her, to look into her big blue eyes.  
  
"What is it, what is wrong? Won't you please tell me?"  
  
"Miss Honda, I love you." I admitted, and before she could react I grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her lips down to mine.  
  
"Yuki!" She mumbled, and started to pull away from me, but I couldn't let her do that. I had something that I needed to prove, not just to her, but also to myself. I held her fast, and deepened our kiss, pressing my still frozen lips hungrily to hers, pushing my tongue into her mouth.  
  
It was all wrong! I knew it, felt it deep inside of me. What I was doing, this kiss, was completely wrong. Not just because Miss Honda didn't want it, not only because I was forcing her, but also because I myself didn't want it, because it was a lie. The one that I wanted to be kissing like this, the one that I wanted to be with, the one that I loved, was not Miss Honda.  
  
"YUKI!" Shigure's voice penetrated my thoughts. I was pulled up, away from Miss Honda, and literally thrown across the room. I landed painfully at the foot of the stairs, and looked up into Shigure's angry eyes. "YOU BASTARD! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?"  
  
"Shigure, I..." I wanted to explain myself, to apologize to Shigure, to Miss Honda, but I couldn't, as once again I was without words. Looking past Shigure, I saw that Miss Honda was crying, no she wasn't crying, she was bawling. What had I done? How could I do something like that, to her?  
  
"Yuki." Miss Honda whispered through her tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I don't feel that way about you. Shigure and I, we..."  
  
"NO!" Shigure yelled. "Tohru, you have nothing to apologize for. You've done nothing wrong." He was right of course; Miss Honda was not the one in the wrong here. That person would be me.  
  
"Miss Honda." I said as I pulled myself up. "I'm sorry, I should not have..."  
  
"No, really Yuki, it's okay, you didn't mean to..." Miss Honda started to forgive me, but stopped immediately when Shigure grabbed me up by the front of my shirt.  
  
"Yuki, if you ever touch her again..." Shigure threatened coldly. I stared up at him, surprised by the force of his anger. This was Shigure, after all. This was the guy who never got upset.  
  
"Shigure, don't. Let him go, please." Miss Honda cried, and Shigure released me, but not before I saw the warning in his eyes.  
  
Walking across the room, Shigure took Miss Honda's face into one hand, and with his other hand he first wiped away her tears and then leaned down to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. Turning away from the scene before me, I started up the stairs.  
  
"Yuki," Shigure said, and I paused and waited. "I think you should seriously consider moving back into the main house for a while. For Haru and Momiji's sake... and maybe for your own." I nodded, and I continued up the stairs.

**------------------------------------------**  
  
Another chapter done, another chapter on its way. Please review and let me know what you think.  
  
Bye for now.  
  
YTR


	6. A Very Tangled Web

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or it's characters. It belongs to Takaya Nasuki.  
  
Hello, and thank you, to all who are still following this story, even though this update took forever. I am so sorry, but I have already started work on the next chapter, so I'll try not to make you wait so long next time.  
  
I want to say thanks to **Smiling Onigiri** who was kind enough to step in as editor on this chapter, since "Nectar's" normal editor is otherwise pre-occupied. (Lucky girl). She of course did a wonderful job, and turned the chapter around very quickly. **Smiling Onigiri**, I love you!  
  
**NECTAR  
  
Chapter Six: A Very Tangled Web  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
KAKERU MANABE**   
  
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! KAKERU, WAKE UP AND LET ME IN!" Someone... a girl... Kimi, of course it would be Kimi... was pounding on my bedroom window.  
  
"Uggggh!" I groaned drowsily and hid my face beneath my pillow.  
  
"KAKERU, I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE, I JUST SAW YOU MOVE! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED AND LET ME IN." Kimi insisted.  
  
"Go away, woman! It's too early, come back later." I begged and peeked one eye out from the pillow towards the window where Kimi stood, her face pressed up against the glass. Catching me looking, she stuck out her tongue.  
  
"Come on Nabe, you asked for my help," She reminded me and waved Yun Yun's phone and a large shopping bag at me. "I'm here for you, now get up and let me in."  
  
Yes, it was true, I had indeed asked for Kimi's help. 'All hail, Kakeru Manabe's biggest mistake.' I shouldn't have, I was already certain. Even sworn to secrecy, Kimi couldn't be trusted. Yun Yun would be furious when he found out that she knew, but hell, what else was I to do? Besides, it really was Yun Yun's own fault. It wasn't like he had left me much choice. Yun Yun was the only person that I talked about personal stuff with and since he had decided to start avoiding me, and I was desperate to talk to someone about that wonderful, perfectly delicious kiss... it would just have to be someone else. And besides, Kimi sort of knew anyway. That was Yun Yun's fault, as well.... It was.... 'Really' it was... okay it went like this....  
  
Yuki had kissed me on Tuesday, and then for the past three days Yun Yun had been amazingly successful in avoiding me completely. Yuki, the boy who never missed a student council meeting and me, the boy who rarely showed up, had suddenly changed places. For example, Wednesday afternoon's "Winter Ball" planning meeting: Kakeru was there, Yun Yun was not. Thursday's weekly "State of Our School" meeting: Kakeru was ten minutes early, Yun Yun skipped the entire thing. Friday morning's "School Beatification" meeting (at friggin 6am!): Kakeru Manabe wide-awake and the first to arrive, Yuki Sohma nowhere to be found.  
  
On top of shirking his Presidential duties in order to keep from having to face me, Yuki didn't answer his cell phone, didn't meet me in the student council room for lunch, and had apparently managed to turn himself invisible. Although I had been searching the school halls hoping to catch site of him, my Yun Yun was nowhere to be found.  
  
Yesterday, because I had started worrying that perhaps Yuki had dropped out of school altogether or worse, committed suicide to avoid the embarrassment of having kissed a boy, I cornered one of those silly fan club girls and inquired about Prince Yuki's whereabouts.  
  
"Lovely Prince Yuki," she had blissfully informed me "is alive, well, and attending his classes."  
  
The annoying halfwit then went on to let me know that Yuki was already in his seat when the other students arrived, that he had brought his lunch for the past three days, and he had been remaining in class with the other 'gifted students' to study during his lunch hour. She didn't know what Yuki did after class because she was only on 'Prince Yuki Patrol' from 7am to 2pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, after that it was another girl's turn. It didn't matter, I had heard enough. It was evident that the little shit- head was going all out to keep from running into me, and do you know what else? Finding this out hurt, it hurt a whole lot. So yesterday I sent him a text message:  
  
_Dear Yun Yun:  
  
I know that you have been avoiding me. Yun Yun, this is completely unfair. I didn't do anything to deserve this type of treatment. You are the one that kissed me. HELLO, I WASN'T EVEN AWAKE! YOU STOLE MY FIRST KISS! The least you can do is meet with me and talk this out. Our friendship is very important to me and I hope that it is also important to you. I have detention for one hour after school, but can you please wait for me in the student council room? I will be there at 4pm. I think there's a lot that we need to talk about.  
  
Kakeru_  
  
What I didn't know was that Yuki had lost his phone. He had forgotten it in the student council room on Tuesday and Kimi had been the one to pick it up. She had been planning to return it to him when she saw him next, but just like me, Kimi had been unable to track him down.  
  
Kimi was the one who got my message and Kimi was the one who showed up at 4pm in the student council room to meet me. Since she already knew too much, I saw no reason to deny the truth. What I probably shouldn't have admitted, however, was the fact that not only did I enjoy Yun Yun's stolen kiss, I desperately wanted him to steal another. I was craving it, actually. I had a devastating crush on Yuki Sohma, which I had suspected as fact even before the kiss. Now, suddenly, not seeing him everyday, not being able to speak with him, eat lunch with him, hang out with him, the whole thing was agonizing. It was crazy making... and painful... and it really pissed me off.  
  
So to hell with what he thinks!  
  
Yun Yun has no right to get mad, and perhaps telling Kimi was the right thing to do because Kimi was the one who came up with 'the plan'.  
  
"I'll give you Yun Yun's cell phone. You can use it as an excuse for paying a visit to his house." Kimi had schemed. "I have his address."  
  
"Yun Yun gave you his address?" I wondered skeptically. Yuki kept his home life very private, even from us, his friends in the student council. I found it surprising that Yuki would give Kimi such personal information when I myself had to practically beg just to get him to give me his cell phone number.  
  
"Well, no, Yun Yun didn't give it to me exactly, but I do have it." Kimi admitted and when I looked at her curiously, she immediately caved and revealed her source. "It's in the student council records, right there on the computer. Don't worry, Kakeru, I didn't sleep with anyone to get it. We all have access to it."  
  
"I just not sure, Kimi, you know how Yun Yun is about his personal life. Isn't my showing up on his doorstep sort of an invasion of privacy? Won't I look desperate, and I don't know, maybe stalkerish?" I faltered, suddenly unsure of myself. Just how strong was my friendship with Yuki anyway? What kind of friend never invites you to visit their home? Probably the same type of friend that would kiss you while you were sleeping and then run off without an explanation.  
  
"Give me a break, Kakeru. Yun Yun kissed you. Don't you understand what that means?" Kimi asked.  
  
"That he's mentally unstable?" I joked, feeling uncomfortable with the whole conversation.  
  
"No, silly. The most desirable boy in our school has a crush on you, Kakeru Manabe, although I don't know why that would be. You can't just ignore this, you need to act quickly."  
  
"I suppose that makes sense," I agreed. "I just don't know if I have the balls to show up like that."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Kakeru. I have your back. I will walk with you to Yun Yun's house and wait down the street for you while you stake your claim."  
  
"You'll do that?" I questioned.  
  
"Of course I will. It will be my pleasure." Kimi insisted. "This is so cool, Kakeru. It's sort of like I'm your wing man."  
  
"Isn't a wing man the guy that goes out with the ugly friend so that you can have the cute chick?" I had wondered.  
  
"Technically it is, but I don't think Yun Yun has any ugly friends. Oh... perhaps once you and Yun Yun are an item, you can repay me by fixing me up with his cousin." Kimi had bargained.  
  
"Oh, so that's your 'real' plan?" I said, shaking my head. As it always was with Kimi, nothing came without a price. "Which cousin were you thinking of?"  
  
"I don't care. Have you seen Yun Yun's cousins? They're all hotties." Kimi said dreamily.  
  
"I'll see what I can do, just be at my house at around 10am tomorrow, okay?" I told her. "Here, let me write down my address."  
  
"Don't bother." Kimi said, pulling her address book out of her purse and waving it at me. "I already have it."  
  
"Of course you do." I laughed foolishly.  
  
Good to her word, Kimi had arrived. Only problem was that she was 3 hours too damn early!

----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**HARU **  
  
"Oh... ahh... haaah... yes, perfect... uh hun, just like that, don't stop... oh... OH... UHHHH! MOMIJI!" I groaned loudly, spilling myself between my sweet lover's persuasive lips.  
  
"Did I do it right?" Momiji asked innocently, looking up into my eyes and wiping his lips with the sleeve of his robe.  
  
"You did perfect!" I moaned ecstatically before grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him up so that I could kiss that incredible little mouth. "Are you sure that was really your first time?" I wondered, feeling a tug of warm jealousy at the thought of how close I might have come to losing Momiji to Akito.  
  
"Of course it was." He grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. "And you liked it? Was I better than Yuki?"  
  
"Yuki and I never did that." I informed him, and it was true.  
  
"But I thought that you two..." Momiji wondered and I smiled at him.  
  
"We touched each other and we kissed, but no more than that." I said.  
  
"Really?" Momiji said joyfully, but then immediately frowned. "What about Rin?"  
  
"UGGGH!!! Why are you asking about this?" I complained, although it really didn't bother me as much as I felt it should.  
  
"She was... wasn't she? Rin was... better?" Momiji pouted.  
  
"No, Momiji, Rin was lousy at that. She wasn't quite as... um... what do you say... enthusiastic as you. My little rabbit, you are the best, even in your weakened state. I crown you the king of blowjobs, are you happy now? Will you behave yourself, and stopping asking about foolish things?"  
  
"Never... I will never stop asking foolish questions because I want to know everything about you, Haru. Everything! I am going to be the best lover you've ever had, just you wait." Momiji insisted.  
  
"Really?" I asked wickedly and reached my hands down to cup his perfectly tight bottom through the silk of his robe. "But if you want to be my lover, then that means we will have to actually make love."  
  
"Haru, have you forgotten that I'm still injured?!" Momiji reminded me with a blush and wiggled out of my grasp. "What do you want to do? Kill me? And besides, we've only been officially together for a week. What do you think I am, a slut?"  
  
"Not that." I told him. "Never that. I love you, and I can wait until you're both fully healed and completely ready. However long it takes, but...." Very gently, so not to risk hurting him, I flipped him over on his back. Now I was on top and I pushed open his robe to expose his beautiful, pale skin. "Now that you've made me feel so much better, you must allow me to return the favor. It's okay, if I do this?" I wondered and kissed downward from his silky, smooth chest to his tiny, precious stomach.  
  
"That would be okay, I guess." Momiji mumbled, and even without looking I knew that his face was bright red. 'Are we moving too fast?' I wondered as I took him into my mouth. We'd been lying in bed together, teasing each other into madness, for an entire week. Injured or not, it was only natural that it would come to this.  
  
"Ah... that feels so nice." Momiji whispered agreeably, but then someone knocked and the door slid open. Momiji flew out of my mouth, out of the bed, and right on to the floor.  
  
I sat up, confused, then hurried out of bed to retrieve my lover from the floor.  
  
"Did I come at a bad time?" Yuki asked.

----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**KAKERU**  
  
"Where did you get all this crap?" I asked as I buttoned up the black silk shirt that Kimi had brought, insisting that I wear, and examined the long black leather jacket that she was holding out for me to slip into.  
  
"A nice boy donated them to me?" She told me with her usual 'I always get my way, so don't even try to fight me' grin.  
  
"What? This shirt belongs to someone else? I hope you washed it first." I said with a grimace. "I don't see why I can't just wear my own clothes."  
  
"Those old things? Really Kakeru, you've seen Yun Yun out of uniform, right? He has very good taste in clothing, and you do remember that his brother's a designer, don't you? You can't just show up looking like a beggar and expect to win the prince's heart." Kimi reminded me as she slipped the coat over my shoulders.  
  
"So what your saying is I dress like a slob?" I protested. "I like my style, it's comfortable."  
  
"Sure, your clothes are fine if you're going to the local arcade to pick up on fifteen year old boys. Kakeru, this is Yuki Sohma we're talking about." Kimi teased, while opening the tube of hair gunk she had brought with her, squeezing some between her fingers, and reaching up to mess with my hair. "But don't worry, I'm an expert at this stuff, by the time I'm done with you, Yun Yun will want to do a lot more then just kiss you. Trust me!"  
  
And the sad thing is that she was once again right. Although getting ready for my visit to Yuki's had taken the whole morning – first Kimi had insisted that I soak for a whole hour in a tub full of aromatic oils, then she gave me a manicure, a pedicure, and, embarrassment of all embarrassments, a facial, followed by the clothes, the fussing with my hair, and last but not least, applying thin coat of gloss, that's right I did say gloss, to my lips – I was forced to admit it was well worth the effort.  
  
"I'm sexy!" I realized in amazement as I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror.  
  
"Of course you are. You've been recreated by Kimi." Kimi bragged and looked at her watch. "In record time, I might add, it's only 10:30."  
  
"That took three and a half hours?" I said in shock as Kimi pushed me out the door.  
  
"And worth every single minute, now let's go get your man."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----  
  
**YUKI**   
  
"I walked in on Haru and Momiji!" I whispered to myself in shame as I sat alone in Akito's large dining room. I should have known better. They were, after all, a couple now. It was only normal that they might already be intimate.  
  
'At least I knocked.' I tried to assure myself, and that was true. I knocked and then I barged right in to catch Haru in the act. "I'm such an idiot." I mumbled, and laid my head upon the table. "But hell, aren't they both supposed to be recovering? Why are they even doing that? There is no way that Hatori would approve."  
  
"Approve of what?" Kureno asked, and I sat up in my chair in shock.  
  
"Why do you do that? That sneaking up on people stuff?" I asked in annoyance. Since the moment that I had arrived, I had become completely aware of Kureno's presence. It seemed that everywhere I went in the main house, Kureno was about. He kept so quiet, half the time you didn't even know he was there. It was very unnerving.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked cluelessly and offered me the piece of toast he had just finished buttering.  
  
"No thank you. I can get my own breakfast." I informed him coldly.  
  
"It's what I do." He said quietly and sat the piece of toast on my plate before standing and walking towards the door.  
  
"Kureno," I called after him. He paused, but did not turn towards me. "He'll be okay. Hatori told me, Akito is going to be all right."  
  
Kureno stood for a moment, not moving, and then he nodded his head and silently continued on his way.

------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**KAKERU   
**  
"Hey you!" I called up to Yun Yun's orange haired cousin who was sitting on the snowy rooftop of the Sohma residence. When he didn't answer or even acknowledge my presence, I shrugged and walked to the front door. I knocked and waited. Then I knocked and waited some more. Perhaps Yuki was still sleeping? The image of Yun Yun curled up warmly in his bed brought a smile to my face. I stepped away from the door and looked up again to the roof. Spotting the ladder off to the side of the house, I headed that way. Climbing the ladder, I carefully made my way across the roof to where Yuki's cousin sat sleeping.  
  
"Hey, you." I repeated, and bent down to nudge him with the heel of my hand. "Hey, Kyo-chan, wake up."  
  
"WHAT?" Kyo-chan's russet eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet. "WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU?"  
  
"Good morning, Kyo-chan, I'm Student Council Vice President Kakeru Manabe. I came to visit Yuki." And then I had to duck in order to dodge Kyo-chan's fist. Not a big deal to someone who was used to dodging daily punches thrown by an easily incensed Yun Yun.  
  
"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!" Kyo complained.  
  
"Sure, no problem." I said, bowing quickly in order to both ask for forgiveness and at the same time hide the smirk that I knew was covering my face. "So do you think you could let Yuki know that Kakeru's here?"  
  
"He doesn't live here anymore." Kyo-chan told me, and I looked up in disappointment.  
  
"Yun Yun moved?" I said, and dropped down to sit on the roof. "Well that kind of sucks."  
  
"Tell me about it." Kyo-chan agreed and sat down beside me. "Yuki moved back to the main house on Thursday. It's was that damn dog's fault! Not that I really care or anything, but at least I had someone to smack around when he was here."  
  
"Dog?" I wondered, trying to remember if Yuki had ever mentioned owning a pet. I could have sworn there was some mention of a 'stupid cat,' but I didn't recall Yuki having a dog.  
  
"That asshole Shigure, I mean. He kicked Yuki out." Kyo explained. "It doesn't matter, it's not like I miss Yuki or anything, and I'm moving out soon, too. I'm just waiting for my master to come back from his trip, and the minute he does, I'm out of here."  
  
"I see." I said, feeling somewhat sorry for this pretty but cocky orange haired boy. "So, I don't suppose you could give me directions to this 'main house' where Yuki's staying?"  
  
"I could, but it wouldn't do you any good to go there. Unless you're invited, you won't be allowed inside." Kyo-chan said, and lay back on the roof, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was lying in a pile of snow.  
  
"Well, then, perhaps if you accompanied me..." I asked imploringly.  
  
"And why in the hell would I do that?" Kyo-chan wondered.  
  
"Because you're a nice guy, Kyo-chan," I said and dodged his fist again.  
  
"I said don't call me that! And it wouldn't matter anyway, because I'm not allowed inside the main house myself." Kyo informed me.  
  
"What? Where the hell is Yuki staying at, some kind of prison?" I asked.  
  
"Not a prison, our cousin Akito's house. Although, I suppose for Yuki it's very much like a prison." Kyo said and sat up again. "Damn it's cold."  
  
"Well it is the dead of winter." I agreed. "So, um... about this main house...."  
  
"Give it up, why is it so important for you to see Yuki so bad, anyway?" Kyo-chan wondered.  
  
"I just needed to see him." I said, my face growing warm.  
  
"Are you blushing?" Kyo-chan asked disgustedly. "What are you, in love with him, or something?"  
  
"NO!" I protested, and quickly pulled out Yuki's cell phone. "He left his phone at school, and he might need it... um... in case someone important calls."  
  
"Humph!" Kyo-chan snorted. "Like anyone important is ever gonna call that dumbass."  
  
"Yun Yun's not a..." I started to say, but was interrupted by a male voice calling up from down below.  
  
"Kyo, Tohru and I are back from the market. Tohru's making tea, she thought perhaps you and your little friend would like to come inside and have some." Down on the ground stood a very handsome, dark-haired man. 'Could this one be Shigure? The, what exactly did Yuki call him, perverted bastard?' The dark-haired guy waved up at me and then disappeared into the house.  
  
"I'll tell you what." Kyo said to me calmly, although his eyes were flashing angry yellow and his orange hair was standing on end. "I need to get the hell away from 'HIM', and I'm walking past the main house anyhow since I need to check if my master has gotten home yet. I'll show you where it is, but you'll have to find your own way onto the property." Then Kyo-chan stood up, took a couple of steps to the edge of the roof, and jumped down.  
  
"Really? You'll take me to the main house? That's great. I'm really grateful, Kyo-chan." I called after him. Standing, I briefly considered jumping off the roof too, but then decided I wasn't dressed for such acrobatics and headed for the ladder.

--------------------------------------------------------  
  
**HARU**   
  
"I'll be back in a little while, Momiji." I whispered, and bent down to place a small kiss on my sleeping boyfriend's forehead, before pulling my robe tightly closed and moving towards the door.  
  
"Haru?" Momiji said as I slid open the door. "Why are you out of bed, where are you going?"  
  
"I'm hungry." I lied, and felt like an ass for doing it. "I'm just going to the kitchen to grab us something."  
  
"You shouldn't." Momiji stated the obvious. "If Kureno catches you, it will only make things worse for us when Akito wakes up. Call Hatori, ask him to bring us snacks, he won't mind."  
  
"Even if Kureno does see me, it isn't going to make things any worse. In fact, I doubt they can get much worse." I said and immediately regretted my words when Momiji's eyes went wide and then quickly filled with tears.  
  
"Haru?" He cried, and I rushed back to his side and took his hands in mine.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I only meant to say don't worry. I'm just going to grab us something to eat and come right back. I know my way around Akito's place pretty well from when I used to sneak in to..." I stopped in mid-sentence, once again having said entirely the wrong thing.  
  
"Visit Yuki," Momiji finished for me and pulled his hands away.  
  
"Don't act like that, Momiji. We both know how dangerous all this jealousy stuff is." I reminded him and pulled the covers up around his shoulders.  
  
"You're right. I'm sorry, Haru." Momiji said, and then he smiled. "Can you bring me some ice cream then, and maybe some cookies?"  
  
"Of course, anything you want." I agreed, kissed him quickly, and went on my way to look for Yuki.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----  
  
**YUKI**   
  
"I need to see Akito." I reminded myself as I lay on the floor, staring up at the pitch-black ceiling of my bedroom. "Unconscious or not, I can't avoid him much longer. The longer I take, the angrier he'll be when he wakes up and Kureno tells him."  
  
And Kureno would tell him, without a doubt. Kureno's loyalty to Akito was absolute. It simply wouldn't do for me to wait much longer. "I'll bathe first, and then I'll go." I decided and slipped my shirt off over my head. Dropping it to the floor, I stood up and unbuttoned my pants as I headed toward my bathroom. I was about to slip them off when the door slid open and Haru hurried in, closing it behind him.  
  
"Haru? What are you doing here?" I asked him in surprise.  
  
"I was worried about you, Yuki." Haru told me, as he walked forward.  
  
"Worried about me? You shouldn't be. You ought to be concerned about yourself," I told him honestly. "And Momiji, he's who you should be worried about," I added without thinking.  
  
"Yes, but I'm worried about you, too." Haru said with a smile and having made his way to my side, took a hold of my hand. "Why did you move back to the main house, Yuki?"  
  
"Because..." I started, but found myself unable to finish. Why had I moved back, exactly? Was it to protect Haru and Momiji? To escape Tohru? To please Shigure? Or was it something more, did I have my own reasons for coming here?  
  
"You're sacrificing yourself?" Haru asked and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "To keep us safe?"  
  
"I don't know." I admitted. "I just thought it was the right thing to do."  
  
"You should go back home, Yuki, back to Shigure's." Haru told me. "I can deal with Akito. You don't need to get involved in this mess."  
  
"I can't go back." I told him, and pulled my hand away. "I don't live there anymore, Shigure doesn't want me there."  
  
"What?" Haru said in surprise. "Why?"  
  
"Because I kissed Tohru," I whispered, and felt my eyes suddenly fill with tears.  
  
"You what? That's great, you finally..." Haru said excitedly, and then stopped as he caught a look at my face.  
  
"It's not great, Haru. It was stupid. Tohru's with Shigure, she's in love with him. Nothing's great at all." I said, and stared down at my feet, biting my lip and willing my tears to stop.  
  
"Tohru's in love with Shigure? Yuki... I'm so sorry." Haru said quietly, and then put his arms around me and pulled me close. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Not really." I admitted and pressed my face against Haru's warm chest. Sighing softly, I closed my eyes. Haru's arms felt so familiar and I was so very lonely, so very confused. Too much had happened over the last week... losing Tohru, the thing with Kakeru, moving back to this room, back with Akito... it was too much. I didn't know if I could do it. I was afraid, afraid of Akito's hold on me, afraid of this room, afraid of being alone... alone to remember all the things that I had worked so hard to forget, like Haru and....  
  
"Yuki, are you in here?" Kureno called from outside my door before sliding it open. "You have a visitor, Yuki. I took the liberty of letting him in." Kureno said with a knowing smile. I pulled away from Haru, wiping the tears from my eyes, and looked to where Kureno stood with... Kakeru?

----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. See you in the next chapter.  
  
YTR


	7. The Spider Awakens

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. They belong to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Hello Again:  
  
I want to start by saying welcome to all the new people that have recently started reading and reviewing this fic, it's always nice to hear from new readers.  
  
I also want to send out big hugs to all the people who keep coming back for new chapters. As you know I occasionally get behind on my updates, and yet here you are still cheering me on. This means so much to me, as do your constantly encouraging reviews. I am having a lot of fun with this story right now, and I hope that you will enjoy reading this new chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
  
Another thing to point out is that once again the wonderful **Smiling Onigiri** is gracing us with her presence as editor. She had been invaluable to me in helping me put this chapter together so quickly.  
  
I am so fortunate for all the great people that I have met through reading and writing fan fiction. I just want you all to know that I appreciate you!  
  
Now on with the update.  
  
**NECTAR  
  
Chapter Seven: The Spider Awakens **

**------------------------------------------------------  
  
KAKERU**   
  
"Kakeru? Why are you here?" Yuki asked and quickly stepped away from his cousin.  
  
"I... I... uh..." I stuttered foolishly while mentally questioning the little love scene I had just interrupted. "Oh... yeah," I said in relief when I remembered the plan, "I found your cell phone." Reaching into the jacket's deep pocket, I pulled it out and held it up for all to see. 'Proof!'  
  
"Haru, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" Yuki's cousin, Kureno, interrupted, and I was taken aback by the level of resentment in his voice. This same person had been charming, friendly, not to mention totally forgiving, just moments ago when he had caught me crawling under the outside fence – the grumpy Kyo-chan had pointed out the best spot – to gain entrance to Yun Yun's family estate.  
  
"Yes, I just came by to grab Momiji some ice cream from the kitchen," Haru explained. "We didn't want to bother Hatori with it."  
  
"This isn't the kitchen." Kureno stated the obvious.  
  
"And you're not Akito, you're just his little boy toy, so why don't you back the hell off?" Haru said bitterly, his gray eyes flashing momentarily black.  
  
"Haru, calm down," Yun Yun said as he placed his hand on Haru's shoulder. "You should go back to the hospital, you're still healing. I'll ask the maid to bring over Momiji's ice cream."  
  
"Yes," Haru agreed with a nod. "I'll go, but I'd still like to talk to you more. Can you drop by later?"  
  
"Sure. I'll come by tonight." Yuki told him with a soft smile. Haru walked towards us on his way out of the room, and then stopped suddenly in the doorway.  
  
"Oh, have her bring cookies too. Momiji likes those chocolate swirly ones... I forget what they're called."  
  
"Dragonfly Chocolate Wafer Sticks?" I took a wild guess.  
  
"Yes! That's it." Haru agreed, and leaned close to my ear as I stepped aside to allow him to pass. "Thanks, and nice outfit, by the way," he said softly to me.  
  
"Uh.... Thanks." I said uncomfortably as I felt my face grow warm.  
  
"I ought to be going as well. It's my turn to watch over Akito," Kureno said before looking down into my eyes and smiling. "It was nice to meet you, Kakeru Manabe."  
  
"Yes, very nice." I agreed, because except for one little moment of awkwardness, it really was. This Kureno character was interesting, handsome like all of Yun Yun's cousins, and also tall, enigmatically sexy, and very polite.  
  
"Perhaps we'll meet again," he added, staring pointedly into my eyes before turning and heading down the hall.

**-----------------------------  
  
YUKI**   
  
'Did I imagine that?' I thought to myself as Kakeru's eyes followed after Kureno. 'I must have, because I could have sworn that the ever-uptight Kureno just flirted with Kakeru.'  
  
"Kakeru." I said, too loudly, and then lowered my voice when he looked my way. "You don't have to stand in the hallway like that, come inside, and if you don't mind, could you shut the door?" Then I walked across the room and bent down to retrieve my shirt from the floor.  
  
"Yuki, I'm sorry for just dropping by like this." Kakeru apologized, while stepping into my room and closing the door. "I would have called first, but...." He held out my phone with a shrug.  
  
"It's not a problem, Kakeru. It's more of a surprise, really." I told him. Taking the phone from his hand I sat it, along with my shirt, on the windowsill. "About what you saw when you walked in... Haru and I... ah... it wasn't what it looked like." I said awkwardly, while turning my back to him so that I could quickly re-button my pants.  
  
"Oh... I knew that... he's your cousin, after all. I didn't think that you two were...." Kakeru laughed, and when I turned to face him again I noticed that his face was bright red. "Well, to be honest, I suppose that I did think that – but just for a moment – and now I don't because, well, you're related, right?"  
  
"Actually, Kakeru, Haru and I are distant cousins. Quite a few Sohmas have dated and even gotten married." I told him, before catching myself. 'What in the hell am I saying? I'm making excuses? Now he's going to think that Haru and I really were doing something perverted. What is wrong with me?'  
  
"So this is it? The room you grew up in?" Kakeru asked, changing the subject as he stared around my sparsely furnished room. Although the maids had done an excellent job of repairing the damage caused by the recent incident, it didn't change the fact that the room was dispiriting. Watching Kakeru take it all in, I tried to see the room from his eyes. 'It really is very unsettling,' I realized, 'a nearly empty room with black walls and not a single adornment, he isn't going to understand. He's going to think I'm a freak.'  
  
"Your cousin, Akito is his name, right? He went crazy and painted it this way?" Kakeru asked thoughtfully.  
  
"Yes." I confirmed, thinking back to the day I had accidentally gotten myself locked inside the school closet and covered with paint. Kakeru had sat with me for hours that day. Without complaint he had listened attentively, allowing me to speak at length about my childhood, about Akito, and about Tohru. 'He's amazing!' I thought to myself.  
  
"I had forgotten I told you about him. That was what, almost a year ago? I'm surprised that you remembered," I said appreciatively.  
  
"Certainly," Kakeru said and pointed to his head. "Photographic memory, I remember everything."  
  
"Really? Photographic memory, is it? Then I'd think you'd get better grades." I teased and swiftly sidestepped as he aimed a playful punch at my arm.  
  
"So, ah... Kakeru, can I ask you something?" I said with a grin as I scrutinized my friend's overstated attire. "Where exactly did you get that jacket?"  
  
"Do you like it?" Kakeru asked, and then strutted across my room like a fashion model.  
  
"Not particularly." I answered honestly and instantly felt bad when the smile dropped from his face. "I'm sorry, Kakeru. It doesn't really suit you, is all I meant to say. I think I'd prefer to see you in something else, something more... I don't know... comfortable." I quickly explained, and was relieved when he busted up laughing.  
  
"That figures." He said, removing the jacket and letting it drop to my floor. "Better?"  
  
"Much!" I decided. "Although I think that Haru owns that same shirt, it's silk right?" Reaching out my hand I touched his sleeve, confirming that it was indeed exactly like the shirt Haru owned.  
  
"Yes, silk." He agreed, and grabbed my hand before it could drop away.  
  
"Kakeru?" I whispered uncertainly as he proceeded to lift my hand to his mouth and press it briefly against his lips.  
  
"I'm glad to see you're smiling again." Kakeru told me as he gazed into my eyes. "A moment ago there were tears. You were crying?"  
  
"No.... Yes...." I said in confusion, momentarily distracted by sight of my hand against his lips.  
  
"You were." He insisted, while stepping closer and giving me a concerned smile. "Are you all right now, Yun Yun?"  
  
"I am." I said honestly, because seeing him this way, smiling so endearingly, somehow made everything else feel inconsequential.  
  
"That's good to know." He said while running the back of my hand teasingly across his delightfully soft mouth. I watched him for a moment, mesmerized by his lovely dark eyes and the gentle caress of his lips, until a large grin broke across his face and he stuck out his tongue and licked me. Coming directly to my senses, I pulled my hand away.  
  
"What are you up to, Manabe? Cut it out!" I said halfheartedly. I didn't really want him to stop, but I felt uncertain of his motives. I knew from experience that Kakeru liked nothing more than having a good laugh at my expense. There was an excellent possibility that I would mistake what this was, that perhaps Kakeru was only playing a prank. I had thought about him constantly over the past few days, and during that time it had never even once crossed my mind that he might have been thinking of me as well. It seemed impossible that the girl crazy Kakeru Manabe could be gay. It was far more likely that this was a joke and I was being made a fool of.  
  
"Why are you messing around like this? It isn't very funny," I complained. "You didn't need to go to all this trouble to bring me my phone. You could have given it to me at school. Why didn't you just do that?"  
  
"Why? Because I haven't seen you, not at all since Tuesday, since you kissed me and ran off like a coward." He said straightforwardly, and I backed away from him in shame, hiding my face behind one hand.  
  
"I wasn't upset about it, you know." He continued, closing the distance between us quickly and gently removing my hand from my face, so that he could look me in the eye. "Yun Yun, why have you been hiding from me?"  
  
"I haven't..." I lied, trying to back away again, but discovering that I was up against the wall. "I've been busy. You know that I missed school on Monday, I needed to catch up."  
  
"I don't believe you." He said and stepped forward again, resting his hands on the wall to either side of me.  
  
"I'm sorry," I whispered. Within my chest my heart pounded anxiously, I wanted to run away, but Kakeru had me trapped. "The truth is, Kakeru, I didn't know how to face you. What I did was so... perverted. I really don't know what made me behave like that, and I'm completely ashamed. I couldn't face you because I couldn't explain my actions to you."  
  
"No explanation is necessary for the kiss." Kakeru said quietly, and leaned his face closer to mine. "But you shouldn't have run away afterwards, and you shouldn't have avoided me. Yun Yun, our friendship is so important to me. I just don't understand how you could blow it off like that, like it meant nothing to you."  
  
"Kakeru..." I started, but couldn't find the words in order to continue. How could I tell him that I hadn't slept in the past four nights because I was convinced that he would hate me for what I had done? What would he say if he knew the main reason that I was crying when he walked into the room was that I was unbearably lonely without him in my life? And how did I even begin to enlighten him on what I was feeling so very deep inside of me, when I wasn't even sure for myself?  
  
"I didn't think you'd even notice," I finally said. It was the one safe, honest thing that I felt I could admit to him. It was the only explanation I could offer that didn't scare the hell out of me.  
  
"Not notice?" He wondered. "How could I not notice? We've spent lunch together every school day for the past year, without fail. Damn it, Yuki, you're my best friend, of course I noticed when you just disappeared!"  
  
"Kakeru, I'm really sorry." I whispered and inhaled nervously when his hands moved from the wall. One of his hands wrapped itself at my waist while the other brushed the hair out of my eyes, allowing him to look at me, really look at me, as if for the very first time.  
  
"I missed you, Yun Yun, don't ever do that again." He said to me and then gently, almost uncertainly, placed his lips upon mine. Pushing away my inhibitions with a gentle sigh, I closed my eyes and willed myself to stop thinking. This was Kakeru, my dearest friend, and this kiss was real for him too, it wasn't just a game. I could trust Kakeru, he'd always kept my secrets in the past and this would be no exception. He would never hurt me, so I just needed to relax. I deserved to enjoy this.  
  
Kakeru's lips felt warm, smooth, and strangely sticky. When I opened my mouth slightly and moved closer to him, silently hinting, he willingly obliged. While running one hand lightly along my back, he slid his tongue through my parted lips. Shivering slightly from the sensation of the cool silk of his shirt brushing against my bare skin, I moaned wantonly because I couldn't hold back the longing that was racing through my heart.  
  
This kiss, Kakeru's kiss, was amazing, soothing and tantalizing in equal doses. I wanted to fall into his arms and beg him to hold me forever, to never let me go. I wanted to tear off his clothes and nail him to the wall. I wanted to make him scream. The kiss brought all of this out of me simultaneously, it was that powerful. It was sinful, it was chaste, and it tasted of something sweet... was that pineapple lip gloss?  
  
"Kakeru?" I whispered breathlessly when he pulled away and stared yearningly into my eyes. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Yes," he whispered back, "anything."  
  
"Um... are you wearing makeup?"  
  
"Fucking Kimi," he mumbled and pulled me into another kiss. I considered asking what Kimi had to do with anything, but then decided I was probably better off not knowing. Instead I relaxed into his arms and faded into his lips. Moments later there was a knock at the door followed by the voice of Akito's maid.  
  
"Young Master, Doctor Sohma is requesting that you come to Master Akito's chambers immediately," she called through the closed doors.  
  
"Is he all right?" I asked and hurried across the room to slide open the door.  
  
"He's started calling for you in his sleep again." She said and averted her eyes from my half dressed state.  
  
"I'll be right there." I informed her, and then added before she could walk away, "And if you don't mind waiting down the hall for just a moment, my friend will need someone to show him to the gate."  
  
"Certainly, Young Master," she agreed, and I turned to face Kakeru who had already retrieved his jacket and was again at my side.  
  
"Yuki?" Kakeru said with concern in his eyes, and took a gentle hold of my arm.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kakeru," I said and looked down at the floor in regret. I didn't want Kakeru to leave. I wanted to spend more time with him, and I certainly didn't want to be around Akito, but this was the way things were. "I have to go to him."  
  
"I understand, but ah... I need to ask you something." Kakeru told me.  
  
"Kakeru?" I asked, and gazed up.  
  
"Will you... uh... go out with me?" He asked timidly and stared into my eyes hopefully.  
  
"Go out with you!? Like have a date?" I asked uncomfortably. It was one thing to admit that I wanted to make out with Kakeru, but it was another thing altogether to agree to start dating him.  
  
"Yes, exactly like that, a date tomorrow night. A movie, or dinner, or we could just meet for tea, I don't really care. I just need to see you again, okay?"  
  
"I don't know..." I said to him, and peered down the hall to where the maid stood, very likely eavesdropping on our entire conversation. "I suppose that having tea would be all right, maybe. Can I call you later?"  
  
"Sure," Kakeru agreed, letting go of my arm and leaning over to place a quick kiss on my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow night then."  
  
"Okay." I said, glancing past him to confirm that the maid was not looking our way before giving him a quick hug, complete with a pat on the back. "I'm sorry to chase you out like this, but I really have to go."  
  
"I know. I'm off then." He said with a grin then pulled away and headed down the hall.  
  
I stood for a moment, watching him go before rushing into my room, grabbing my shirt, and running down the hall towards Akito's chambers.  
  
**---------------------------------------------------------- **

**KAKERU   
**  
Stepping through the gate, I breathed deeply of the cold winter air and started laughing. It was brilliant. The plan had worked perfectly. It was everything that I could have wished for... well, maybe not 'everything.' I would have liked it if I'd been allowed to stay longer. Additionally, I felt oddly unnerved about leaving my Yun Yun behind in that creepy old house. I was being ridiculous, wasn't I? That was Yuki's home, after all. Sure, this Akito fellow sounded like a bit of a loony bird, and what the heck was that whole thing about him calling for Yuki in his sleep? Yeah, that was kind of fucked up, but hadn't Yuki mentioned to me that his cousin was ill of health? Really, how dangerous could someone like that be? 'Stop worrying, Kakeru. Yuki's a big boy and he can take care of himself.'  
  
"Look! There he is!" I heard the voice of Kyo-chan and looked up to where he was sitting, along with Kimi, on the low roof over the gate. "There is your friend, he's back, so will you please let me go of me now, you psychopath!"  
  
"Nabe!" Kimi hollered down joyfully and let go of Kyo-chan's arm in order to stand up, hop off of the roof, and grab me by the arm instead. "It's about time you came back, that Kyo-chan was really working my nerves. For sure, that one is not to be considered as a blind date for Kimi."  
  
Ignoring Kimi completely, I waved up at the roof. "Thanks for your help today, Kyo-chan." I shouted up at him.  
  
"Whatever, you fruitcake, it wasn't like I went out of my way, don't read anything into it. I had to come out this way anyway." Kyo-chan said and turned his back to us, but not before I noticed the totally freaked out look on his face. 'Wow, what is that about? Kimi must have really put the poor guy through hell while I was inside with Yun Yun.'  
  
"How'd everything go?" Kimi asked as we headed off along the forest path and away from the main house.  
  
"All right." I said casually, while inside I was screaming 'Magnificent!'  
  
"Just all right?" Kimi asked disappointedly, and I couldn't help but let out the tiniest giggle.  
  
"You liar!" Kimi screamed in laughter and stepped in front of me to bar my path. Grabbing me by the face, she closely examined my eyes. "I knew it, you're glowing! He kissed you again, didn't he?"  
  
"Well, actually, this time I kissed him." I said proudly, grabbing Kimi up into my arms and spinning her around in a circle. "I kissed Yun Yun, and tomorrow night we're going out on a date."  
  
"YES!" Kimi cheered. "I told you that jacket was a sure thing, he liked it didn't he?"  
  
"Sure, Kimi, he loved it." I lied, because there was really no reason to burst her little delusional bubble. "And your pineapple lip gloss went over really well, too."  
  
"I knew it!" Kimi said. "Perhaps tomorrow night you might want to try the mango-pear flavor?"  
  
"Ah... that would be a no." I told her and sat her back on the ground. "But I would be grateful if you'd let me borrow some more of those bath oils of yours, and um... maybe you could help me decide on a shirt?"

**-----------------------------------------------------  
  
YUKI   
**  
Catching my breath and trying to slow my speeding heart, I slowly pushed open the heavy doors leading to Akito's chambers and stepped inside.  
  
"Yuki." Hatori said quietly, and gestured me towards the bed where Akito lay. As I stepped closer, I saw that Akito's eyes were closed and his head was heavily bandaged and resting on Kureno's lap. "We were able to get him to calm down again and I've just given him a light sedative, but...."  
  
"WHERE IS YUKI!?" Akito cried out and lurched across the bed, causing the robe he was dressed in to pull open revealing more bandages and an ugly network of slowly fading bruises.  
  
"Akito..." Kureno whispered soothingly. Reaching out, he pulled Akito's shaking body close against his chest and rocked him gently while Hatori worked to quickly remove the IV from Akito's arm to prevent it from being ripped out. "Shhh... it's all right...Yuki's here now." Kureno told him.  
  
"NO! DAMN IT! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Akito screamed and lunged himself out of Kureno's arms and on to the floor.  
  
"Akito!" Hatori and Kureno cried out at once. Hatori bent down, intending to lift Akito from the ground, but Akito's foot flew up into the air, connecting with Hatori's jaw and knocking him back.  
  
"Yuki... please... I need him!" Akito cried out, and curled himself into a tiny little ball.  
  
"Stop it, Akito!" I commanded and pushed Hatori aside so that I could kneel down on the floor next to Akito. Reaching down I placed one hand delicately upon his right shoulder, the only part of his body that wasn't either bandaged or bruised.  
  
"Yuki?" Akito called out quietly.  
  
"Yes." I told him as my eyes filled with tears. Akito was such a bastard and there were so many things that I would never be able to forget or forgive him for... and yet he was the most important person in my family, the history we shared was a bond I could never ignore. It hurt so much to see him this way, battered and broken and helpless. "I'm here now, Akito. I'm sorry it took me so long."  
  
"Yuki." Akito whispered and reached his arms out blindly.  
  
"I'm right here," I whispered. Lying down beside him on the floor, I wrapped him in my arms. "You're going to be okay now, Akito. You have to be, we need you. I need you."  
  
"Yuki?" Akito asked quietly and slowly opened his eyes. "Have you really come back to me?"  
  
"Yes," I soothed, and watched as his dark eyes instantly filled with tears.  
  
"I'm glad," he told me, "because I've really missed you." Then he closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep.

-------------------------------  
  
And that was another chapter down... lots more still to come.  
  
See you all again soon, and be sure to let me know what you think.  
  
YTR


	8. Kakeru Manabe’s First Date

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. They belong to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
First of all, let's all take a moment to say thank you to **Smiling Onigiri** because she loves me and is the best editor in the whole wide world. She blew off her Saturday night plans to stay home and edit this story in order to get it posted that much sooner. I am so blessed to have such a wonderfully helpful friend. She's like my own personal Kureno... J/K. I am so getting slapped for that one!  
  
Also, one other thank you to my other most helpful friend **Kyo's Evil Twin** for writing a super sexy Kyo/Yuki chapter that was so yummy it inspired the heck out of me... which in turn led to this chapter being a lime.  
  
Thanks so much, everyone, for reading, reviewing, and pushing me to update as often as possible.  
  
**WARNING:** This chapter is bordering on an **R rating** due to the **lime** content. If you're not old enough, or do not like that sort of stuff, you might want to pass on this. Everyone else, enjoy.  
  
**NECTAR  
  
Chapter Eight: Kakeru Manabe's First Date **

**------------------------------------------------------  
  
HARU**   
  
Hearing footsteps outside the door, I looked up with a smile from the magazine that I was reading and stood up from the bed.  
  
My smile dropped a moment later when the door opened and Hatori stepped into the room, a very stern expression plastered on his already eternally stern face.  
  
"Oh, it's you." I said and sat back down on the bed.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, Hatsuharu." Hatori said. Walking over to the opposite side of the bed, he looked down upon Momiji's sleeping form.  
  
"It's isn't like that." I quickly explained, "It's just that I thought you might be Yuki. He was supposed to stop by last night, but he never made it."  
  
"Yuki stayed the evening in Akito's chambers, with Kureno and myself."  
  
"All three of you?" I asked uneasily. "Did something happen? Is Akito all right?"  
  
"Akito regained consciousness yesterday afternoon," Hatori told me, "Only briefly, however."  
  
"So he will get better soon, right? He's not going to end up disabled or anything, is he?" I asked uncomfortably and looked down at the floor, unable to stand the compassion I recognized in Hatori's tired eyes. As much as I feared the inevitable punishment that was sure to come with Akito's recovery, I found the idea of getting it over with much preferable to this constant waiting. If I was doomed, then I wanted to get on with it.  
  
"It still too early to say," Hatori said honestly. "Akito suffered a minor skull fracture during Black Haru's assault. There is a good possibility that some permanent damage has occurred. I'm afraid we won't really know for sure until he awakens completely and I'm able to perform a full examination."  
  
"I see." I said guiltily, and looked up when Hatori reached over and patted me on the shoulder.  
  
"For now let's just worry about your own recovery. I hear you felt well enough to take a little stroll today?" Hatori said and the corner of his lips threatened me with a smile, but only for an instant, as was his way.  
  
"Yes," I admitted. "I feel fine actually, Hatori, but if you don't mind I'd like to stay here with Momiji until he's better. He's still very shaken up about everything that happened. I'd like to be able to keep him company."  
  
"I understand, and I'll allow you to stay a bit longer under two conditions." Hatori said, and although I thought I knew what they would be, I asked anyway.  
  
"What conditions?"  
  
"One, I'd like you to stay away from Akito's house for the time being. If you need something, you're to call my cell phone. You're not to leave the hospital without my permission."  
  
"That's fair, and if you'd like I'll call Kureno to apologize. I feel terrible for how I acted. This must all be very difficult on him."  
  
"Yes, it would appear so." Hatori agreed. "Kureno cares for Akito very much. He blames himself for not being home that day to protect him."  
  
"He couldn't have protected him," I mumbled under my breath. "A wimp like Kureno would only have gotten beaten up as well."  
  
"Perhaps," Hatori agreed. "As for condition number two, I would like you to sleep in your own hospital bed from here on out. Momiji needs his rest, and we certainly don't need to give Akito's servants anything more to gossip about."  
  
"Agreed," I told him, and to prove that I was fine with the request stood up, walked over to the other bed, and crawled inside.  
  
"Well, then, you may stay here for the time being. Although, if you truly are feeling better, you might want to consider returning to school tomorrow, you've already missed a whole week and I do believe that you have exams coming up." Hatori said, and I frowned. It was too true. I had already missed at least one test. It was going to be a real bitch trying to get back up to speed, but perhaps I could bribe Yuki into helping me study. I was about to agree to that as well when Hatori's cell phone rang, causing Momiji to wake and jolt up in his bed. Placing one hand on Momiji's shoulder to keep him calm, Hatori pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it.  
  
"Hello," Hatori said into the phone. "Yes, this is Hatori Sohma." A moment later his face grew dark. "He what? Can you hold on one moment?"  
  
"Excuse me, Hatsuharu, Momiji." Hatori said to us and stepped away into his office area.  
  
"Haru? Why are you all the way over there?" Momiji wondered sleepily and I signaled for him to hush. Although Hatori was attempting to keep his voice low, we could still hear parts of his conversation. It was something about Kyo, and from Hatori's tone I felt certain that it couldn't be good. A moment later he hung up and returned. He looked fully annoyed, as would be expected.  
  
"Is Kyo alright?" Momiji asked before I had a chance to.  
  
"Kyo's fine. He's an idiot, but he's fine. They have him down at the police box. It appears he's gotten himself arrested."  
  
**----------------------------------------- **

**YUKI   
**  
I awoke balanced at the edge of Akito's large bed and feeling completely disoriented. After gently removing Akito's arm from around my waist, I sat up with a yawn and glanced around the room in search of the clock. 11:55 A.M, it was almost noon. I had slept half the day away.  
  
"Great," I said to myself in annoyance as I stood and walked towards the door. I really needed to get some studying done this weekend, so if I wanted to see Kakeru this evening, and I had decided that I wanted to see him very much, I really should have gotten up earlier.  
  
Sliding open the doors, I found myself face to face with Kureno who was carrying a tray full of breakfast foods into the room.  
  
"Yuki," he said with a nod as he passed me and sat the tray down on the small side table. "You're leaving? I brought breakfast."  
  
"Ah... yes. I'm sorry, Kureno, I don't really have time. I need to study." I explained. "Exams are coming soon and I'm graduating at the end of the next term, as you know. It's important that I keep up."  
  
"You'll be down the hall in the library, then?" Kureno asked. "Perhaps you'd like your breakfast brought to you there?"  
  
"No... thank you, Kureno. You really don't need to go to all that bother." I told him, but then changed my mind when my stomach growled noisily. "Well, maybe I could eat something before I go."  
  
"Good, this will give us a chance to talk." Kureno said, lifting the tray and carrying it to a low dining table in the corner that was surrounded by several large, comfortable cushions.  
  
"Do you eat in here often?" I questioned as I watched Kureno quickly set the table for two.  
  
"More often than I'd like to admit." He answered, and gestured for me to take a seat while he poured us each a cup of tea. Then he pushed open the heavy drapes, granting us a view of the snow covered garden, and knelt down across from me to begin dishing rice into two bowls.  
  
'He's like Akito's wife.' I thought to myself, and bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. 'Damn it, Kakeru, this is all your fault,' I silently cursed, because Kakeru was the person who had taught me to laugh in the first place. Kakeru Manabe could wring humor from a stone, and apparently this exasperating trait had rubbed itself off on me.  
  
"Did I do something funny?" Kureno wondered. I shook my head and hid my mouth behind my hand, but it was too late, a small giggle slipped through my lips.  
  
"I don't generally do this myself." Kureno explained, and I wondered if he hadn't actually just read my mind. "The maids are busy, what with running food over to the hospital and preparing for the New Years festivities."  
  
"They've started already then?" I asked, in an attempt to make conversation as I took a sip of tea.  
  
"It's only a month away," Kureno reminded me. "I guess you've forgotten how much work goes into it, Yuki, seeing how little you've bothered to visit over the past few years."  
  
'And there you have it!' I thought to myself in annoyance. 'He didn't bring me breakfast to be nice. Kureno is really just like Akito. There are always hidden motives behind everything he does, and just like Akito, he can't be trusted.'  
  
"It has hurt Akito a lot. Were you aware of that, Yuki? It was very selfish of you." Kureno went on. I sipped my tea and tried to ignore his words. I didn't want to let him upset me. I reminded myself that Kureno was Akito's confidant, his closest ally, and in his eyes I would always be 'the worthless rat'.  
  
"You are very important to him. He loves you very much." He continued, making me realize that I couldn't stay silent, that I really didn't want to stay silent. I didn't deserve this, and I shouldn't stand for it.  
  
"You have no idea what you're saying, do you? You're just repeating the things that you've heard him say. You really have no mind of your own, Kureno." I said bitterly, my words spilling out of control. "I am not important to Akito any more then you are. We're pawns to him, and that is all. Akito's just a spoilt kid with too much time on his hands, and you're not his playmate, Kureno, you're his toy. It's just as Haru has said."  
  
"It's not true. Akito loves me." Kureno whispered, his eyes wide. I was hurting him, defecating on his fantasy, but I didn't care. If I was going to be forced to live in this house, forced back into Akito's sick little world, I wouldn't do it as the helpless rat. I was no longer a scared little child, I was a man, and I would stand up for myself, I would make them understand.  
  
"It is true, Kureno. It's completely true." I said. Having lost my appetite, I sat my napkin on the table and got to my feet. "Akito doesn't know how to love. Not you, not me, not any of us. Look at what he's done to Momiji. It isn't even different than what he's done to me in the past. Do you consider beating someone half to death an act of love? Do you really expect me to forgive him for it?"  
  
"Akito lost his temper..." Kureno said, making excuses as has always been his style. Akito might not love Kureno, but Kureno did love him, and Kureno would remain loyal to the one that he loved.  
  
"That doesn't make it all right. Black Haru lost his temper too, but do you think he'll be forgiven for it? Do you think that Akito will just let it slide?" I asked, my voice much louder then I intended it to be.  
  
"Get out!" Kureno said softly, and although he was staring down at the pair of chopsticks he held clutched tightly in his angered fist, I knew that he was crying. I could hear the sorrow he was fighting to hide. I could feel his pain as if it were my own.  
  
"I'm sorry," I whispered. My irritation had vanished, replaced by guilt.  
  
"Please, just go," Kureno said to me. "I will watch over him today, you should study."  
  
"Yes." I agreed, and although I knew he wouldn't see, since his eyes were still focused on his hands, I bowed to him. Then I turned and hurried out of the room.  
  
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
KAKERU**   
  
"What are you wearing, Kakeru?" Yun Yun asked the moment he spotted me. Smiling big, I stood up from the cozy western style sofa I was sitting in and gave him a courteous bow.  
  
"I dressed casual. You said that you preferred comfortable clothes, and to be honest so do I." I explained, not seeing what the problem was. This was a coffee house, after all. I had dressed appropriately in a pair of dark jeans and a thick red sweater. My lucky sweater, to be exact, and Kimi had assured me that the color worked well with my eyes. "Is the sweater too worn out? Do I look uncouth?"  
  
"No, it's not that." Yuki said with a blush and removed the long jacket he was wearing. Underneath he was dressed stylishly in a pair of black dress slacks, crisp white shirt, thin black tie, and expensive shoes. I took one look at him in that get up and collapsed into hysterics.  
  
"It isn't funny!" Yuki complained. "It's just that after the way you were all dressed up yesterday, and just to return my phone... I didn't know what to expect... damn it, stop laughing..."  
  
"I'm sorry." I said, and put on a straight face for all of three seconds before busting up again.  
  
"I said stop laughing at me!" Yuki repeated and started to pull his jacket back on. "It's not that funny."  
  
"No! Don't put it back on," I insisted, placing my hands on his shoulders to stop him. "You'll be too warm." Pulling the coat away from him, I laid it on top of my own at the end of the couch. "And besides, you look so handsome." I continued and since I was unable to help myself, I lifted my hand to cover my mouth and mumbled, "For a butler."  
  
"You!" Yuki said in mock outrage. I grinned at him and motioned for him to take a seat, then plopped back down myself. Just as I did, Rikku, the coffee house's owner, approached us with a smile.  
  
"Kakeru, you haven't been in for a while. We've missed you. And who's this?" She asked and stared blatantly at Yuki. "He's cute."  
  
"This is Yun Yun." I said, and briefly considered the shock value of telling her the truth, that Yuki was my date, but decided against it for Yuki's sake. "He's a schoolmate."  
  
"Ah... Yun Yun? What an adorable name." She flirted, and a soft flush covered Yuki's pretty cheeks. Turning back to me, Rikku whispered loudly, "Is he single?"  
  
"No." I told her, using the same pseudo-whisper that was actually meant for Yuki to hear, and staring pointedly into his eyes. "He's very taken, and much too young for you." Yuki's mouth dropped open and his face lit up like a stoplight, and then catching a hold of himself he flew straight into Yuki mode.  
  
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" He said in annoyance. "And you, are you our waitress? You should bring a menu or something."  
  
"No, no," I explained to him with a smile. "This is Rikku Manabe, my aunt, and also the owner of this establishment."  
  
"Your aunt?" Yun Yun sputtered, properly surprised. Very quickly, he jumped to his feet and bowed respectfully. "Excuse me, I didn't mean...."  
  
"Sit down, Yuki." I laughed, and grabbed him by the arm to pull him back down. "She's just my aunt, she isn't Hayao Miyazaki."  
  
"Oh I like this boy! Polite and well dressed!" My aunt gushed, and leaned down close to Yuki's face. "So then, Yun Yun, are you planning to entertain us tonight?"  
  
"WHAT?" Yuki said in confusion, and looked to me in fear. "What exactly is she talking about, Manabe?"  
  
"No, no, Rikku. I don't think Yun Yun is into that type of stuff."  
  
"Stuff? What stuff?" Yuki asked nervously.  
  
"Really? That's too bad. I bet you'd be wonderful." Rikku teased, and then gave me a wink. "Should I bring your usual, Kakeru?"  
  
"Yes, please, and Yun Yun would like some too, I think, and would you bring some of your homemade tea cakes as well?" I asked her, purposely ignoring Yuki who looked about to flip out.  
  
"What type of stuff? Kakeru, what was she talking about?" Yuki continued to worry as my aunt walked off.  
  
"Calm down, Yun Yun. It really isn't anything like your naughtily little mind is thinking," I joked. "This coffee house has entertainment on the weekends. Tonight it's poetry reading, Friday nights they have a comedy showcase, and Saturday they have karaoke."  
  
"Karaoke?" Yuki said, and smiled. "I've heard of it. It's like singing, right?"  
  
"Duh!" I said to him. "Yes, it's singing. My hell, Yuki, you really have led a sheltered life haven't you?"  
  
"It isn't like I haven't heard of karaoke, Kakeru. I've just never experienced it." Yuki explained, and I felt a little bad for teasing him. One of the things that made Yun Yun so totally adorable, not to mention an easy target for my sparklingly sharp wit, was that he's basically clueless. Sure, he got good grades and he was an excellent athlete, but hello! How many high school students in Japan can say that they've never been to a karaoke bar? My guess was that it was probably one, just my Yun Yun.  
  
"I'm sorry, Yun Yun. I'm just surprised, is all. I've been doing karaoke since I was five years old." I explained.  
  
"Yes, and he's very good." My aunt butted in as she placed two large cups of steaming hot tea and a plate of fresh baked cakes on the low table in front of us. "But it's sheer crap compared to his poetry."  
  
"Poetry?" Yuki asked interestedly, and grinned up at Rikku. "I had no idea that Kakeru was skilled in such things."  
  
"Oh yes, now I remember why I almost didn't come here tonight." I said, and glared at my aunt, silently begging her to shut the hell up. But of course it didn't work. To make matters worse, Kurumi, my aunt's closest friend and number one waitress, picked that moment to notice me.  
  
"Karu! Little Karu! Rikku, why didn't you tell me that Karu was here?" Kurumi cooed, and dropped down next to me on the couch in order to give me a hug. "And you brought your friend along. Is he a poet as well?"  
  
"No, I'm not. I don't really think that I like poetry." Yuki said honestly, waiving the subject off.  
  
"Too bad, having someone as pretty as you on stage would do wonders for business." Kurumi told him. "I guess that leaves it up to Karu to stir up tonight's crowd."  
  
"I won't be reading tonight." I said. "I wasn't planning on it. I'm just meeting my friend for tea, and since Rikku makes the best tea in all of Japan...."  
  
"Oh, no? What do you mean you won't be reading?" Kurumi pouted. "You have to."  
  
"Yes, Kakeru, you must read." My aunt seconded.  
  
"I didn't even bring my poems." I explained, and glanced over at Yun Yun who was grinning from ear to ear, obviously enjoying my shame.  
  
"Well, here." Kurumi said, pulling out a small pad of paper and a pencil from her apron pocket. "You still have a little time before it starts. Improvise, Karu."  
  
"Yes, Karu, and write something that will dazzle us." My aunt agreed.  
  
"Oh, yes." Yun Yun chimed in, siding against me with an evil smirk. "Do dazzle us, Karu."  
  
"Well then, I suppose I have no choice." I told them, and then smirked back at Yuki, "Since you're asking for it."  
  
**------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
YUKI**   
  
It was driving me mad, Kakeru's... scent. It was incredible. It had been on my mind all day, a constant reminder of him, of his kiss. Now that I was sitting right next to him, watching him silently scribble away in deep concentration, it was seriously affecting me. Kakeru smelled... luscious! It was subtle and perhaps slightly feminine, but it was undeniably enticing. It was grating on my sanity... making me want him excruciatingly. Why had I never noticed it before?  
  
"I'm done," he said suddenly. Ripping a small sheet of paper from the pad, he waved it in the air victoriously.  
  
"That was fast." I told him. "May I see it?" I reached out to grab it from his hands, but I was too slow, he quickly balled it into his palm and shook his head.  
  
"No way, since you're conspiring with my aunt and Kurumi to make me read, I'm making you wait." Kakeru said cockily.  
  
"Is it ready?" Kakeru's aunt asked, popping out from behind us. "If it is, I'd like you to go first." Then she smiled at me and whispered confidentially, "Helps the newbies to get over their stage fright when we have a talented poet like our Kakeru to open the show."  
  
"I see." I whispered back, and gave Kakeru an encouraging smile. He nodded, then stood and walked toward a small stage that was set up in the middle of the room.  
  
"Hello." Kakeru said, and grinned adorably around the crowded room, before settling his sights on me. "I have to apologize in advance for this. You see, I wasn't planning on reading tonight, but here I am, and I have this little... uh... poem that I call Stolen First Kiss."  
  
I don't really know what I was expecting from him, right then. To be honest, I suppose that I expected something silly, something that was obnoxious and purely Kakeru. What I got was entirely surprising, and so moving that it brought tears to my eyes.  
  
Unfolding the paper, he glanced down at it for a moment and then he started to read:  
  
**A warm caress of silken flesh  
Soft breath upon my teeth  
Placid poison on my skin You infest my ersatz slumber  
Your touch possesses the whole of me  
Treasured Friend. Silver sunlight.   
With one kiss you alter everything  
I barter my heart So that I might keep you  
I'll wear you inside my smile  
You'll sit upon my lips  
I'll drink you with tea  
I'll taste you at my root  
Eternally**   
  
Finished, he stood up, bowing slightly, and walked my way followed by the gentle appreciation of the room. Taking his seat beside me, he peered into my eyes, a soft blush glowing in his cheeks. Reaching across the couch, not caring what people might see or think, I enclosed his hand in my own and leaned over so that I could whisper in his ear.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
**---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
MANABE   
**  
Even though it was very late and we had school in the morning, I offered to walk Yun Yun home. I had no desire to leave his side. I was having too much fun, and I didn't want our date to end. As we passed a small park, my heart lightened and I smiled. I had an idea.  
  
"Let's play, Yun Yun." I said joyfully, and took off running toward the set of swings in the middle of the snow-covered playground.  
  
"Don't be silly, Kakeru." Yuki complained. "I'm already freezing! It's way too cold for that." Disregarding his protest, I took a seat in one of the three empty swings and pushed off with my feet.  
  
"You're not even going to listen, are you?" He asked. I laughed and shook my head 'no'.  
  
"Come on, Yun Yun, live a little. I bet I can fly further then you." I challenged him as he took a seat in the swing to my right.  
  
"What are we, five year olds?" Yuki teased, but kicked off anyway.  
  
Moments later when we were soaring together in the air, laughing like children, Yuki called out cheerfully, "So, what do I get if I win?"  
  
"You get to kiss me," I told him.  
  
"And if you win?" He wondered.  
  
"You get to kiss me." I said with a grin.  
  
"So either way I lose?" Yuki joked.  
  
"Shut up and jump," I told him and hopped out of the swing and into the air. I flew for a moment, and then plunged down to smack painfully into the ice-covered ground.  
  
"Shit! That hurt!" I complained as Yuki crashed down face first, just inches away from me.  
  
"Hell!" He cursed and stared across the snow at me accusingly. "That was a really dumb idea. I think I broke something." Flipping on to his back, Yuki reach into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone.  
  
"Is it busted?" I asked him.  
  
"Might be," he said and examined it for a moment before putting it back into his pocket with a shrug. "Anyway, did I win?"  
  
"No." I said, sitting up in the snow and gauging our distance. "It actually looks like a tie."  
  
"I see." Yuki said. "So then do you want to go again?"  
  
"No." I told him, and crawled across the snow, so that I could lean over him and gaze upon his gorgeous face. "I forfeit. You win." Sticking out my tongue, I ran it along his bottom lip then covered his mouth with my own and kissed him briefly, teasingly, before pulling back and grinning down at him. "I am your trophy, do with me what you will."  
  
Smiling, Yuki wrapped his arms around me and pulled me on top of him, his chilled lips pressing tenderly against my own. We kissed leisurely, passionately, adrift within each other, disregarding the world around us. After a while, when I felt myself becoming aroused and remembered that we were in a public park, I drew back, sighing contentedly. Peering around, I confirmed that the park was quite empty and that the streets around us were silent.  
  
"Mmmm..." Yuki mumbled, and licked his lips slowly. "No pineapple lip gloss tonight?"  
  
"No, just me," I said, making a mental note to kill Kimi and nuzzling my mouth against his neck. "Disappointed?"  
  
"No. I didn't really like it." He said, and shivered against my chest. "You're so warm, I feel so cold." Hugging him tightly, I rolled us over, putting myself between him and the icy wetness of the snow.  
  
"Better?" I whispered against his ear, and then kissed a slow path along his face to his mouth.  
  
"Uh huh..." he moaned and squirmed within my arms.  
  
"Yun Yun!" I inhaled loudly, and grabbed him by the waist. His sudden movement had caused his leg to rub solidly against me, calling attention to my still swollen member, which lurked helplessly amid too many layers of uncaring cloth.  
  
"Is something the matter, Kakeru?" Yun Yun asked innocently, although the look in his eyes said he knew exactly what my problem was.  
  
"Nothing at all," I lied, grabbing him by the back of his head and dragging his mouth down to kiss me again while slightly arching my back and pressing myself casually across his hips, confirming what I already suspected. The interest, the need, was mutual. Moving my hands back to his waist, I held him tightly and arched my back again, more obviously this time, wanting him to feel me against him, wanting to take everything just a step further.  
  
"Hah..." Yuki gasped, and yanked his head backwards. Violet eyes wide, he peered down at me. Then he grinned big, and while staring deep into my eyes, running his tongue along his lips, he pressed his pelvis against mine and worked it in slow, agonizing circles. This movement allowed just enough friction to drive us crazy, while our layers of clothing prohibited us from falling over the edge.  
  
When I was unable to stand even a moment more of this pleasurable torture, I rolled him over and pulled away. Lying beside him, I took a moment to gather myself.  
  
"Kakeru." He whispered breathlessly, and I turned to him. "Don't stop yet," he begged lustfully. Nodding, I pulled him back into my arms. He traced my lips with his tongue before kissing me greedily. While unfastening the top button on his jacket, I dove my tongue between his parted lips. He sucked my tongue and groaned into my mouth while reaching for the first of the buttons that would undo my coat. It was at that moment that all sanity deserted us. We vanished into each other, into our own enchantment, and we were lost.  
  
In the snow we danced like demons, our eager mouths consuming each other, our frozen fingers working open jacket buttons, lifting sweaters, tearing open shirts, creating our own personal cocoon.  
  
It was perhaps fortunate – considering the location – that we were both young, as such neither of us managed to hold out for long. In fact, neither of us actually made it into the other's pants.  
  
Yun Yun came first, whimpering prettily and wrapping his legs around my own. The feel of his heated thighs shuddering against me was all that it took. My body was rocked with a mind numbing orgasm which caused me to scream against his lips and sink my nails into the soft skin of his back.  
  
Afterwards, we laid breathlessly side-by-side and half undressed upon the frozen earth. As our passion subsided, we quickly redressed ourselves then sat huddled together, not quite ready to leave our icy first bed.  
  
"Yun Yun." I whispered, and leaned over to press a gentle kiss upon his beautifully flushed cheek.  
  
"Yes?" He asked softly and cuddled closer into me.  
  
"I think it's highly probable that you are well on your way to becoming the greatest love of my entire life." I told him, my honesty stupidly spurred on by this perfect moment of afterglow.  
  
"Kakeru?" He gasped in surprise and then lowered his head, hiding those remarkable violet eyes for only a moment before peering though that delightful mess of silver locks to grin at me.  
  
"It's amazing what a grown man will say after experiencing his first non- self induced orgasm, isn't it?"  
  
"YUN YUN!" I said in shock and shoved him away. "I'm wounded, how could you say such a thing? You're so mean."  
  
"I'm sorry, Kakeru." Yuki apologized through his laughter, then covered his mouth with his hand and mumbled. "But you were so full of shit."  
  
"Asshole!" I cursed at him, and reaching over, grabbed his face in my hands and brought it close to mine. "You're like a coldhearted version of me. I'm so very proud of you." Then I kissed him quickly on the lips, stood up, and pulled him to his feet.  
  
We were silent as we continued our walk towards Yuki's home. My mind was deeply lost within itself. I was thinking way too much, and touching on feelings that I was surprised to learn I had. What I had said to Yuki had been one-hundred percent heartfelt and sincere, for I certainly was falling deeply for him. What bothered me was Yuki.  
  
I didn't try to kid myself that I was also his first love. I knew how he felt about Tohru Honda, and I also had my suspicions about his relationship with that enigmatic white haired cousin of his. There had been an overwhelming vibe from them yesterday that I kept trying to deny. No, I was positively not going to be Yun Yun's first love, but did I at least have a shot at being his next love?  
  
**---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----  
  
YUKI   
**  
"I had a great time tonight, Kakeru." I said as we stood in front of the gate to the main house. "Are you sure you don't mind the walk back into town? I can ask Akito's driver..." I was stopped mid-sentence because Kakeru leaned over and kissed me.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm actually looking forward to the walk home," he said. I pulled him into my arms and held him close, not wanting to let him go but knowing that the front gate of the main house was not the place for such an exhibit of affection.  
  
"I'll see you in school tomorrow. I believe we have a student council meeting at 7 A.M., so try to be on time, okay?" I teased him as I stepped away and headed for the gate.  
  
"Yeah, like you're one to talk. You just make sure to actually show up," Kakeru flung back, and I nodded.  
  
"Point taken. Goodnight Kakeru." Pushing open the small door next to the gate, I gave him one last wave and stepped inside. Walking quickly to Akito's front door, I used my key to let myself in and hurried down the hall into my room. Sliding the door closed behind me, I leaned against it and hugged my arms around myself as I caught my breath.  
  
"Kakeru," I whispered and lowered myself down to sit on the floor. "Why is it that I miss you already, and you've only just gone?"  
  
Thanks for reading. I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, and hope the poetry wasn't too fluffy. Also, let me know if you all enjoyed this and would like me to continue with the lime, and probably very soon, lemon content. If so, I will probably want to change the rating to an R, so if you have trouble finding this story in the future it just means I moved it to the R rated section.  
  
I'm a little infatuated with Yuki and Manabe right now, so I will try to update again soon. I do, however, owe a chapter to my readers of "I Love You", my other story, and so I will be updating that next.  
  
See you all soon.


	9. My Karu, My Love!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. They belong to Takaya Natsuki.  
  
Hello again: Thanks for reading this far, and for all your kind reviews.  
  
Once again, thank you to **Smiling Onigiri** for taking time out of her busy schedule to edit this chapter.  
  
I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. Read on:  
  
**NECTAR  
  
Chapter Nine: My Karu, My Love!**  
  
**------------------------------------------------------  
  
KAKERU**   
  
'Ugggh!' I thought as I walked through the empty school hallways and stretched my arms tiredly towards the ceiling. '6:10! I'm almost a whole hour early. What was I thinking?'  
  
"Yun Yun," I whispered to myself, what I had been thinking about was Yun Yun. I had lain in bed the entire night, tossing and turning and thinking about Yun Yun. I hadn't wanted to be late, in fact I couldn't wait for the student council meeting to start, so I had gotten up too early, gotten ready too quickly, and here I was.  
  
"Only a complete bonehead would think of coming to school this early for a silly student council meeting." I said out loud and then shrugged, because I really wasn't here for the meeting anyway, was I?  
  
Pushing open the door to the student council room, I was happily surprised to find Yuki sitting inside, already hard at work in front of the computer.  
  
"Karu," he said, and smiled knowingly. "Isn't it a bit early for you to be out of bed?"  
  
Feeling my face grow warm, and realizing, in awkwardness, that his comment had actually caused me to blush, I walked up behind him and glanced at the computer screen. He was looking over the notes from the meetings he had missed.  
  
"Good morning," I said softly, and leaned down to wrap my arms around his neck.  
  
Bringing his hands up, he stroked my forearms lovingly before gently grasping and removing them. "Not here, Manabe. Not while we're in school, okay?"  
  
I bristled for a moment, my feelings hurt. Then I smiled and wrapped my arms around him again. "It's early though, Yun Yun. We're the only ones here."  
  
"Yes." Yuki agreed, and turned his head to place a small kiss on my lips. "But I still don't feel comfortable with it. Is it all right if we don't?"  
  
"If that's how you want it," I agreed. Pulling myself away from him, I made a noisy show of walking to the other end of the table and seating myself.  
  
"You don't have to sit so far away, though," Yuki complained.  
  
"Yes," I told him, "I do."  
  
The truth was that I felt rejected. Even though I understood Yun Yun's reasoning, that didn't make it hurt any less. A moment later, when we heard footsteps in the hall, Yuki looked at me and smiled condescendingly as if to say 'See, I told you so!'  
  
The door flew open and Kimi, Machi, and Naoto walked in.  
  
"What, all three of you together," I asked, "And all so early?"  
  
"We met for breakfast!" Kimi said happily, and giggled.  
  
"We had things to discuss." Naoto added with a smirk.  
  
Machi, who stayed silent, looked at me in open hatred, which was relatively normal.  
  
'Machi's in her usual bad mood, but that shrimp Nao's awfully happy. Just what were those three really up to, anyway?' I wondered suspiciously.  
  
"Good morning Kimi, Naoto, Machi." Yuki said warmly, only to be shot down by Machi with a look of pure and honest repulsion, and that's when it hit me.  
  
'NO!' I realized miserably and looked towards Kimi, who avoided my gaze. 'She told them! Fuck! Kimi's told them about us! Yun Yun is going to flip when he finds out.'  
  
**---------------------------------------------------  
  
YUKI**   
  
'Shit!' I thought to myself as the other student council members seated themselves around the table. 'I think I've made Kakeru feel bad.'  
  
It can't really be helped though, can it? Things are what they are with me, and Kakeru will need to understand how it is, right up front. It was possible for me to be, and in fact I very much wanted to be, Kakeru's lover, but I came with a clause. Under no circumstances could anyone at school, or in my family, ever find out about us. I had worked hard to earn the respect of my schoolmates, so I certainly couldn't allow them to find out that I was gay. Additionally, there was Akito to think about.  
  
Later today, at lunchtime perhaps, I would need to talk to Kakeru. It was only fair that he knew what he was getting into, and if it was too much for him to handle, then I suppose I would need to end things immediately, before I got more involved... before someone got hurt.  
  
'Please understand, Kakeru.' I silently pleaded and stared across the table to where he was sitting with a very odd look on his face. Seeing me looking at him, he smiled, but it wasn't his real smile. 'He really must be upset with me,' I decided sadly, but since I couldn't do anything about it at the moment, I peered around the table at the others.  
  
"Well then, since we are all present and ready, why don't we go ahead and start the meeting," I told them.  
  
**--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
KYO**   
  
"What the hell am I doing here?" I asked myself and sat up from the very small and incredibly uncomfortable futon in the middle of Hatori's living room floor.  
  
"Good morning, Kyo." Hatori called over from his seat at the tiny kitchen table. Laying his newspaper aside, he stood and took two steps to reach his kitchen stove. "I've taken the liberty of making you something for breakfast. I hope you don't mind fried leeks."  
  
"WHAT!" I screamed in outrage and jumped up from the futon. "Who in their right mind eats leeks for breakfast?"  
  
"It was a joke, Kyo." Hatori said calmly, and a hint of a smile actually surfaced for a moment before quickly fading from his lips. "I thought it might make you feel more at home."  
  
"Don't ever do that again! It wasn't funny!" I said bitterly and then took a couple steps, which put me at the kitchen table, where I took a seat. "Damn, this place is small. How can you even stand it?" I asked him.  
  
"It isn't so bad. You'll get used to it." Hatori said and shoveled some eggs on to a plate, added a couple slices of toast, and turned to place it in front of me.  
  
"Get used to it?" I wondered at his strange choice of words and looked up at him in curiosity as he took an empty cup from the shelf.  
  
"I've made coffee, which is what I prefer in the morning, but if you'd like, I can brew a pot of tea as well."  
  
"No, no!" I insisted. "I like coffee, coffee's fine. With milk and sugar, please."  
  
"Very well," Hatori said, pouring a cup of coffee and quickly adding a spoonful of sugar and some cream, before sitting it in front of me and returning to his seat.  
  
"Thank you." I said to him, and took a bite of toast. Picking up his newspaper, Hatori began to read.  
  
"Um... Hatori," I interrupted after a moment of uncomfortable silence... at least, it was uncomfortable for me.  
  
"Yes, Kyo?" He asked, and peered over his paper at me.  
  
"Thank you for coming to get me from the police box and for letting me spend the night." I said, and took a sip of my coffee.  
  
"Well, it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. I couldn't very well leave you there, now could I?" Hatori said, once again sat his paper aside, and stood up. "Oh, I forgot the juice."  
  
"You didn't have to come and get me," I argued.  
  
"Certainly, I did." Hatori said, and pulled a glass pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice from his refrigerator. He then poured one glass and sat both the pitcher and the glass on the table in front of me.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you," I said angrily. "But those damn cops had no right to arrest me."  
  
"You broke into Kazuma's home, Kyo." Hatori pointed out as he returned to his seat. "They thought you were a thief."  
  
"Kazuma's my... my... well, anyway, I had a right to be there," I complained.  
  
"Not without Kazuma's knowledge, you didn't." Hatori argued.  
  
"I was cold, and I can't live in that house with that sleazy dog and... and... _her_.... I didn't have anyplace else to go!" I mumbled, slamming my chopsticks down and pushing my plate away. Then I stood up and walked towards the door. "Thank you for letting me stay here last night, I'm leaving."  
  
"Sit down, Kyo," Hatori insisted, and I turned back in annoyance.  
  
"LIKE HELL I WILL!" I shouted at him. "I'M OUT OF HERE!"  
  
"I said, sit down!" Hatori repeated and stood up threateningly.  
  
"WHY THE HELL SHOULD I?" I yelled, but returned to the table and took my seat anyway.  
  
"Thank you," Hatori said calmly and sat back down. "Now finish your breakfast."  
  
"Whatever!" I mumbled, and gave him an icy look, but pulled my plate back in front of me and picked up my chopsticks.  
  
"It's been decided that you will live here, with me, for a while." Hatori casually informed me, and the chopsticks dropped from my surprised fingers and fell to the floor.  
  
"What? You think I'm going to stay here, in this tiny hole in the wall, with you? Are you crazy?" I said, and stood up again.  
  
"Really, Kyo, my home isn't that small, and it will only be until Kazuma returns, I spoke with him last night. He called me because the police had contacted him." Hatori told me, and I felt my anger rise.  
  
"And what, was he upset about it? Shit, I should have known he was full of crap, all that 'you're my troublesome son' nonsense... I can't believe him."  
  
"Now, now, Kyo, it isn't at all like that." Hatori said gently and patted my hand patronizingly, which I immediately pulled away. "Kazuma called because he was worried about you, not because he was upset with you. He didn't understand why you wouldn't have a place to stay, why you would need to break into his house."  
  
"WELL, I'M SORRY! IT WAS A STUPID THING TO DO, OBVIOUSLY! IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S MY HOME OR ANYTHING! IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE A HOME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, and then to my utter embarrassment, I broke into tears.  
  
"Yes, well." Hatori continued calmly and handed me a fresh napkin to wipe my eyes. "I spoke with Shigure as well, and I think I understand why you no longer want to live with him, but you're still young and you need adult supervision. Until Kazuma returns, you will be staying with me."  
  
"But... but... this place it too damn small for two people... I'll just be a bother." I mumbled through my tears, and tried to get a hold of myself. Picking up my glass of juice, I took a shaky sip.  
  
"Not at all, actually I think I look forward to your company." Hatori told me, and I nearly choked on my juice.  
  
"That's crazy! Nobody likes the company of the cat!" I told him. "And what about Akito, he won't like it. I can tell you right now, he'll never allow it."  
  
"Why don't you let me worry about Akito?" Hatori said, and although I had my doubts, I also knew I had no place else to go, and this was what my father wanted.  
  
"Thank you," I said under my breath. Hatori nodded, then picked up his newspaper and went back to reading.  
  
For the remainder of breakfast, we were both silent. When I was finished eating, I cleared the table and was about to start the dishes when Hatori stopped me by pointing at his watch.  
  
"You don't have time for that. You need to get ready for school." He reminded me.  
  
"School? I don't even have my uniform, can't I skip a day?" I asked him, because I really wasn't in the mood for school. Going to school meant seeing Tohru and seeing Tohru just hurt.  
  
"No, you can't skip, not even a day, your schooling is very important. Now go ahead and take a shower. I need to walk next store to pick up Haru and check on Momiji, but I will drive you both to school today. We should have just enough time to stop by Shigure's house so you can change and grab a few things, but we'll need to hurry."  
  
"Yes." I agreed, and took the seven steps that put me into Hatori's small bathroom. As I closed the door behind me, thinking about how bad my day at school was going to be, I suddenly remembered something that made me smile and gave me hope.  
  
'Oh, yes...' I thought, 'the thing Kimi told me, the thing I had always suspected. That disgusting rat is gay. By now that loud mouth girl has probably called every person in our entire school. Heck, she'd called five different people just in the short half hour we'd sat together on the roof. Precious Prince Yuki's reputation is surely ruined by now. The President and Vice President of the Student Council are lovers. Actually, yes... this day might not turn out so badly after all.'  
  
**-------------------------------------------------------  
  
KURENO**   
  
For the better part of my life I have been enslaved. I've existed exclusively to please Akito Sohma, and up until fairly recently it was a position that I've rather enjoyed. Have you ever tried to make a demon smile? It isn't very easy, but I am pleased to say that I am somewhat of an expert.  
  
Akito, our family's personal demon, loves me. I alone have seen his smile actually reach his eyes. I alone have made him laugh from pure joy. I alone have watched him cry. I don't care what that little fool Yuki has to say about it, Akito Sohma loves me. Maybe not in the same manner that he loves Yuki, and most definitely not in the manner that I once wanted him to, but Akito does love me! And I love Akito from the depths of my very soul... but I'm no longer in love with him.  
  
I am in love with another....  
  
I saw him for the first time two months ago, around the same time that Momiji started coming around the main house and shamelessly flirting with Akito.  
  
"You should go out on the town tonight, Kureno," Akito had insisted. "You must get tired of being stuck in this house all the time. Momiji was telling me about this, what did he call it... some kind of coffee place... I don't remember the name, but we can ask him when he arrives. You like coffee a lot, right?"  
  
"Uh... sure," I agreed, because it really wasn't a choice. If Akito wanted his house to himself in order to entertain Momiji, then I would need to make myself scarce. I wasn't happy about it, though, because I didn't trust Momiji and because, at that point, I still wanted more from Akito than Akito was willing to give.  
  
Regardless of my personal feelings, as was always the case, I did what was asked. I went into town to the coffee house Momiji had suggested and that was where I, quite literally, fell in love.  
  
He was lying on a couch, sleeping with his legs sticking out, and I was searching for an empty seat in the overly crowded room. Spotting a waitress carrying a very full tray of coffee cups and tea pots rushing towards me, I quickly stepped out of her way in order to avoid the collision, and inevitable transformation, that was about to occur. When I did, however, I backed right into his outstretched legs and ending up falling backwards and landing safely, but painfully, on the hard cement floor.  
  
"Oh my! I'm so sorry!" The reckless waitress apologized and took my hand to help me up. He, the boy whose feet had tripped me, hadn't even woken. He was apparently out cold.  
  
"Rikku!" The waitress called out. "Karu has tripped this poor gentleman. Get over here quickly!"  
  
"WHAT?" Another woman, Rikku I presumed, had shouted and rushed out from behind the coffee bar.  
  
"I'm fine!" I insisted, and quickly stepped to the side when Rikku reached out her arms, because I feared she might try to hug me. Instead, she grabbed each of my hands and looked up into my eyes.  
  
"You're sure? You're not hurt? You're fine? So you won't be suing me, or anything crazy like that?" She asked, and I shook my head quickly.  
  
"No, no! Of course not! I wouldn't do anything like that, even if I had been hurt, which I wasn't," I insisted.  
  
"Really? That's good news. So you're okay, there's nothing you need?" She asked.  
  
"Well, actually," I admitted as I looked around the over packed room, "I don't suppose there's a place I might sit?"  
  
"A seat!" The woman squealed, and stared about the crowded coffee house before pointing to the edge of the couch that my assailant was sleeping on. "You can sit there. Don't mind him. When he's like this you can't wake him up, anyway. A growing boy needs his rest, or so he says. He performed for us earlier tonight. It's too bad you missed it, he's very talented, our Karu is."  
  
"Really?" I asked doubtfully and stared at the small available space next to an unconscious mass of thick dark hair and lovely porcelain skin.  
  
"Yes, yes, really. My nephew won't mind. He's a very friendly boy, and you're a cutie, he won't mind at all. So sit, and what can I get you? Coffee? Tea? Whatever it is, it's on the house. Oh, and you must try our cake." Then she quickly took my order and rushed off.  
  
That night, I sat and watched him sleep... for hours... and somehow, strangely enough, I realized that I was in love.  
  
I had hoped I might get an opportunity to speak with him, but although I waited around hopefully until the coffee house was ready to close, Karu didn't wake up.  
  
Since that day I have returned to the coffee house five times – whenever Momiji visited, Akito would send me away – unsuccessfully trying to find him. Although I've become friends with the coffee house's owner, I have not had the nerve to ask about him, but every once in a while, when I was particularly lucky, the subject would come up on its own.  
  
His given name is Kakeru Manabe, and he is a high school student, much too young for me, and a poet. I also know that he's quite good at karaoke and his family is well off, on his father's side.  
  
After Akito's recent incident, I lost all hope of having time to return to the coffee house. I was very disappointed that I would probably never have the opportunity to actually meet my beautiful poet, and I decided I should give him up. Imagine my surprise when he showed up here, at the main house, crawling under our fence and looking like that guy from 'The Matrix'. The only problem was that he didn't come to see me. He came to visit Yuki.  
  
Yesterday when I brought Yuki's breakfast, I had intended to inquire about his relationship with Kakeru. One of the servants had informed me that they were witnessed hugging goodbye in the hallway, but that didn't mean anything, did it? Friends hug each other, don't they? Yes, it happens all the time on television, so it doesn't mean a thing... or so I hope.  
  
Breakfast didn't go so well. Instead, Yuki slashed open my heart, telling me that Akito did not care about me, that I was nothing more than Akito's toy. It isn't true. Yuki is wrong. He's just a spoilt, self-serving little rat....  
  
He doesn't deserve Akito, but he can have him....  
  
In exchange for Kakeru Manabe.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think. See you next chapter.  
  
YTR 


	10. Out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. They belong to Takaya Natsuki.

Okay, okay, I know, I know.... I SUCK! I have kept you waiting far too long for an update, again. I am so sorry, I just keep getting pre-occupied with my other story and this one ends up being put on hold. To make it up to you this is a nice long chapter and I hope you will all really like it. Please review too, because I am curious how many people are actually reading this, and enjoying it. Did I lose all my readers for keeping you waiting for too long? Let me know.

I think this is a very fun chapter, and I have some really exciting ideas for the story now. I want to thank my editor, **Smiling Onigiri,** for turning this around so quickly, and for always being such a great help and offering fantastic advice. I also want to thank my friend, **Macbaby, **for all of her help and suggestions. She gave me a couple of great ideas that really made this chapter even better.

Oh, and speaking of fun, please keep in mind that this is only fan fiction and should not be taken overly serious. I like Yuki and Tohru as a couple just as much as the next girl, but I also like Yuki/Manabe, Yuki/Haru, Yuki/well almost everyone. The only Yuki pairing that I am not a fan of is Yuki/Machi, but that is only because I think Kakeru is better suited for Yuki. He makes him happy after all, isn't that what really matters?

I hope you enjoy reading.

**NECTAR **

**Chapter Ten: Out **

**--------**

**YUKI**

"That's three for a masquerade and two for a Meiji Era theme." I announced after unfolding the last tiny scrap of paper and tallying the final vote. "It's decided then, this year's winter ball will be a masquerade."

"Yes!" Kimi cheered excitedly and did a victory dance in her seat. "I love costume parties, this year's Winter Ball will be the greatest ever!"

"Whatever," Machi said dispassionately, and I turned my attention to her.

"You're disappointed, Machi?" I wondered unhappily. Although the voting process was supposed to be completely anonymous, I had been student council president long enough to recognize everyone's handwriting. Machi and Nao had voted for a Meiji Era themed party, while Kimi and Kakeru had voted for a masquerade ball. This, as too often happened, left me with the deciding vote, and since I really had no preference on either account, I had voted with Kakeru.

"As if I really care," Machi said while standing up and collecting her things although our meeting was still in progress. "Either way, I doubt I'll even go."

"Not go? But why?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course you have to go, Machi," Nao informed her. "We all do. The Winter Ball is the Student Council's responsibility. Teachers and alumni will be attending as well as all the students, it's a significant event."

"That's true." Kakeru agreed, and Machi glared at him crossly.

"Well then, you see, Machi, you have to go. As Nao says, it's important that we all attend, so you can't skip." I told her, but when she switched her angry glare from Kakeru to me, I decided to back down and give her a way out. "Unless you have something more important to do, if that's the case...."

"She doesn't," Kimi explained. "She's just upset since she won't have a date."

"Now that makes sense," Kakeru agreed. "Who would ever ask out such a bad tempered girl?"

"Ah... a date," I realized. I hadn't even considered that. It could make things difficult for me as well. Looking across the table at Kakeru, I made a decision.

"We'll go as a group." I suggested and peered around the table, "The five of us together, no dates necessary."

"A brilliant suggestion," Kimi agreed. "Yun Yun's so clever!"

"That's stupid!" Machi disagreed. "It's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard, the five of us going together."

"I wouldn't say it's stupid." Nao argued, and looked at me pointedly. "And it would solve some of our dating dilemmas, wouldn't it, Yuki?"

"I thought you had someone you were interested in, Nao?" Kakeru chimed in and Nao's eyes went wide.

"No, no, I don't." Nao blurted out while vehemently shaking his head. "I wouldn't mind going as a group."

"It might solve 'your' dating problems!" Machi said bitterly and slammed her book bag down on the table. "But I have no intention of looking like a dateless loser."

"What if we change the name of the ball just a little?" Kakeru suggested. "We'll call it a Soul Mate Masquerade."

"Soul Mate?" Both Machi and I said together.

"Yes, everyone comes solo, in costume, and you see if you can find the person that your soul is calling out for, your soul mate."

"Now that really is stup..." I started to say, but stopped when I noticed the look of interest on Machi's face.

"That actually might be sort of fun." Machi said, and returned to her seat. "I'd go."

"Really?" I wondered, but then noticed that both Nao and Kimi seemed interested as well.

"So then, I guess it's agreed, a Soul Mate Masquerade it is." I declared. "Now we should move on to distributing tasks. Let's see, first of all, we'll need to recruit a few volunteers to help out with preparations. Kakeru, would you mind being in charge of recruitment?"

"I'd be happy to, Yuki." Kakeru eagerly agreed.

"What an obvious choice, seeing how Kakeru is so good at wrapping people around his little finger." Machi said spitefully, and I looked at her curiously. Although Kakeru and Machi have never been what anyone might consider close, today she was actually behaving downright hostile towards him. 'I wonder what might have happened between the two of them over the weekend to make her behave in such a manner. Well, it's probably best I don't involve myself in their sibling rivalry,' I decided.

"Machi, would you mind heading up the decorations committee?" I asked softly, and crossed my fingers. I knew that Machi was quite skillful in arts and crafts and I felt certain this would be the one task that she might actually find enjoyable.

"I guess I could do that." Machi agreed casually, but I didn't miss the tiny sparkle in her eyes that assured me she was at least somewhat pleased by my decision.

"Good," I told her and moved on. "Kimi, you'll be in charge of refreshments."

"Woo hoo! Refreshments! How do pina colodas sound, everyone?" Kimi asked enthusiastically.

"On second thought, scratch that. Nao can handle the refreshments," I decided quickly.

"Oh, no fair," Kimi pouted. "Can I be in charge of entertainment then?"

"Entertainment?" I debated for a moment before deciding that entertainment should be a safe enough choice and agreeing. "Yes, that will be fine. Kimi will handle the entertainment."

"Yeah, male exotic dancers in go-go booths!" Kimi said with a grin, and I rubbed at my temples because I could feel a slight headache coming on.

"No, Kimi. No dancers! No exotic! No go-go booths!" I insisted. "Hire a D.J. or a band, either will suffice."

"Yun Yun's no fun." Kimi complained. "Kakeru, you should talk some sense into him. Yun Yun needs to lighten up, tell him Kakeru."

"Kimi, shut up." Kakeru said, and I was overcome with the desire to hug him. "Yuki, do you mind if we take a break? I'd like to get something to drink."

"And I'd like to use the men's room," Nao added.

"Me too, I mean, I'd like to use the ladies room." Machi said.

"That's fine, go right ahead." I told them, and Nao and Machi stood up and headed for the door. "Kakeru, if you wouldn't mind could you grab me something to drink as well?" I asked, reaching into my pocket and pulling out some change for the vending machine.

"Okay." Kakeru agreed, ignoring the money I was holding out to him and instead grabbing Kimi by the arm and pulling her along with him.

"Why do I have to go?" Kimi asked as Kakeru pulled her out the door.

"I need help carrying the drinks." Kakeru told her, and I smiled. 'He probably realizes that I'm getting a headache,' I thought, 'he's so considerate.' By taking the boisterous energy that was Kimi out of the room for a bit, he'd allowed me a moment of quiet, and I made a mental note to thank him later on.

Laying my head down on the desk in front of me, I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the slowly spreading pain at the center of my skull. A moment later when I heard the door slide open, I forced myself to sit up.

"Are you okay?" Machi asked as she returned to her seat across from my own.

"I think I'm getting a headache." I told her, and she nodded then reached into her purse to pull out a bottle of aspirin. Popping open the top, she poured two into her hand and held them out to me.

"I get migraines." She explained as I took the tiny pills from her hand.

"Thank you," I said with a smile. "I'll take them as soon as Kakeru brings my drink."

"I could get you some water," Machi offered.

"That's all right." I told her. "You don't need to go to all that trouble, but thank you."

"Okay." She said softly, and we sat quietly for a moment before she spoke again.

"Yuki," she said, her voice so low that I had to strain to hear her. "Would you mind walking me to class after the meeting is over? I have something that I'd like to discuss with you."

"Okay." I agreed graciously while wondering what it was she wanted to discuss, probably something having to do with the party decorations. "I'd be happy to walk you to class, Machi."

"Good." Machi said, and smiled so sweetly that I found it almost disconcerting. 'What in the world has gotten into her?' I wondered as the door slid open and Nao entered the room. I had never really seen Machi smile that way before, and to be honest I didn't like it. Machi's smile reminded me of another, someone I was trying to forget.

**KAKERU**

"Kimi, that stuff between Yun Yun and I, our dating and the kiss? You haven't told anyone about it, have you?" I asked hopefully the moment we were out of earshot of the others and heading down the hallway towards the drink machines.

"The kiss! Ahh... yes! Yun Yun and Nabe kissing, what a beautiful thing," Kimi said dreamily. "If only Kimi had been a fly on that wall. Just imagine, witnessing such a wonderful spectacle... Yun Yun's hungry fingers wrapped in Nabe's silky black hair, Nabe's strong hands caressing Yun Yun's innocent ivory flesh... it's just... so... so yummy!"

"Oh yes..." I agreed, my mind momentarily carried away on Kimi's white wave, "Yun Yun really is an incredible kisser."

"Oh, Nabe! I'm so jealous; the whole school is, actually. You don't know just how lucky you are, having Yun Yun all to yourself like that." Kimi gushed, and the implication of her words hit me like a sharp kick to the groin.

"The whole school! Kimi, tell me you didn't." I begged desperately, but knew it was hopeless.

"What? Was it a secret?" Kimi wondered innocently.

"Hello! Was it a secret! Kimi, are you brainless?" I asked in aggravation. "Do you have any idea how Yun Yun will feel when he finds out that you outed us to the entire school?"

"Do you think he'll be mad?" Kimi asked worriedly.

"Yun Yun isn't going to be mad, Kimi, he's going to be furious. He'll probably hate you, and he'll hate me for telling you. Damn it Kimi, what were you thinking?" I yelled at her, then immediately felt terrible when Kimi's eyes went wide and I feared she might actually burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Kimi, but did you really have to tell everyone?"

"Well, you didn't tell me it was a secret, and besides I didn't tell everyone." Kimi said unhappily.

"No, you're right. That wouldn't be possible," I decided. "It's only Monday morning, you couldn't have spoken to that many people yet." Breathing a sigh of relief, I started thinking about damage control. "So you've told who? Machi and Nao? I think I can handle Nao, but Machi could be a problem...."

"Well, I did speak to a few other people over the weekend." Kimi admitted quietly, and I frowned at her.

"Which people, Kimi? Who did you call?" I asked, while crossing my fingers and saying a prayer. 'Not the Prince Yuki Fan Club, please tell me she didn't call the Prince Yuki Fan Club.'

"Who did I call? Let's see..." Kimi said and took a second to think about it. "Well, first I called Kinoshita Minami, she was the most important, and so I had to tell her."

"Who?" I wondered and tried to put a face to the name.

"Oh she's one of those silly Prince Yuki Fan Club girls! Understand Kakeru, I had to tell her, those psychos run around acting like Yun Yun is their personal property, it was about time someone put them in their place." Kimi said defensively, and even though it was tremendously bad news, I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I imagined the reaction of Yun Yun's fan club upon learning their Prince Charming had kissed a boy... had kissed this boy, actually... and also... that stuff last night in the snow, damn that was amazing....

"Mm... Yun Yun! So good," I said distractedly. "No wonder those little bimbos chase him around the way they do, but they can't have him... Yun Yun is mine!"

"Focus, Kakeru." Kimi said and snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Stop acting like a freak. This is really your own fault for not telling me it was a secret in the first place, you know. You need to come up with a plan to keep Yun Yun from hating us. I'll just die if Yun Yun hates me for outing him!"

"Yes, of course." I said, suddenly recalling that our meeting was still in progress and a thirsty Yun Yun was waiting for me to return. "I'll talk to him as soon as the meeting is over," I decided. "I'll explain everything, but you only told three people, right?"

"Well actually..." Kimi said with an innocent smile. "There were just a few more."

"Spill it." I told her while wrapping an arm tightly around her neck and pulling her down the hall towards the drink machines. Kimi was right; she couldn't be blamed for this. I was the one who had neglected to inform her that my relationship with Yuki was not public domain. Giving into my fate, I listened to Kimi chattering cheerfully as she divulged the unimaginably long list of people she had contacted over the weekend. Our little Kimi had been a very busy girl. It was certain that Yuki's reputation, as well as my own, was officially shattered, and there was not a damn thing that I would be able to do about it.

"Kimi?" I asked as we pulled up in front of the drink machines and I released my hold on her neck. "How do you even have all of these people's phone numbers anyway?"

"I'm well connected, Nabe!" Kimi said with a confident grin and shoved some change into a machine.

"Do we actually have access to 'everyone's' phone numbers in the Student Council computer?" I wondered.

"Pretty much," Kimi said and pushed the button on her drink of choice.

"Good to know." I said, and tried to remember what Yun Yun liked to drink.

**KURENO **

"Get out!" Akito screamed and with one brutal kick sent me flying from his bed.

"Akito," I said sleepily as I pulled myself up from the floor and stepped backwards in order to avoid his hand, which flew out in an effort to strike me.

"Who in the hell are you and what are you doing in my bedroom?" Akito demanded, and I stared at him in surprise.

"Akito, calm down," I told him softly and stepped towards him again, then dodged to the side when he picked up the heavy lamp from his bedside table and heaved it in my direction. It smashed against the wall noisily, sending ceramic shards flying through the air.

"Akito." I said again, louder this time. "It's me, Kureno, your cousin. Please calm down, you've been very ill and you shouldn't be distressing yourself like this."

"My cousin?" Akito asked suspiciously and shook his head violently. "No, you're not. You're a stranger and a pervert! What were you doing in my bed?"

"A stranger? A pervert?" I said in confusion. "I'm not. I'm Kureno. I've been sharing your bed since you were fifteen, Akito. After Shigure moved out, you insisted I sleep in here, you're afraid of the dark."

"Liar! That's proof you're lying!" Akito yelled and jumped out of his bed, yanking the I.V. out of his arm in the process. Rushing towards me while pointing accusingly, he forced me towards the door. "I'm only thirteen years old, you're a dirty rotten liar, and you're going to be in trouble when Yuki finds out what you've done. Get out of my house, get out right now or I'll make you regret you were ever born."

**KAKERU **

"So then, I think we've covered everything on our agenda for the day." Yuki declared and shuffled through the pile of notes in his hand. "Unless anyone has something more to add...."

"We don't." I informed Yun Yun, and peered around the table hoping the others would agree.

"Can I..." Kimi said and started to raise her hand, but quickly lowered it after catching the look on my face. "Ah... never mind," she said, and I smiled.

The meeting had lasted much longer then I had hoped, glancing up at the clock I noticed that class would be starting in only twenty minutes. That wouldn't leave me much time for explanations, but it would have to do.

"Okay, our next meeting will be Wednesday afternoon, I'll see everyone then," Yuki said. Pulling his backpack from underneath the table, he opened it and tossed his pen and notebook inside.

"Yuki?" I asked in a low voice as I threw my own backpack over my shoulder. "I need to speak with you. Can you stay a moment longer?"

"Actually, Kakeru, I told Machi I would walk her to class this morning." Yuki said.

"Can it wait?"

Over at the door Machi stood waiting, a calculating smile floating on her lips. 'I can't let her be the one to tell him,' I realized in irritation.

"It really can't, Yuki." I told him, and moved to stand in front of him. "We need to talk." I said under my breath, and Yuki stared into my eyes questioningly before looking past me to where my half-sister stood.

"Yuki, we really should hurry, I don't want to be late for class." Machi said sharply, and Yuki nodded.

"I'll meet you here during lunchtime, okay Kakeru," Yuki said in a soft whisper. "We can talk then."

'That might be too late.' I thought to myself, and searched desperately for an excuse that I could use to keep Yuki by my side, only nothing at all came to mind.

"I'll walk with you guys!" I blurted out at last, and followed them out the door while shooting Machi a victorious grin.

"But your class is in the opposite direction, Kakeru." Yuki pointed out, and the smile dropped from my face. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Yuki insisted, and then added in a whisper that only I could hear, "Don't worry, she isn't really my type."

'He just thinks I'm jealous?' I realized as I watched Yuki and my half-sister walk away. "Give me a break!" I said out loud, causing a group of girls who were gossiping in the corner to look my way.

"Hey, it's him. You're Kakeru Manabe, right?" One of the girls, who was rather unattractive with an unholy case of acne, called out.

"Yeah, that's me. Why? Do I know you?" I asked and was surprised when the entire group of girls immediately surrounded me and started firing off questions.

"So tell us about Prince Yuki?"

"Are the rumors true, are you really his lover?"

"No way, it can't be true, Prince Yuki isn't gay!"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Yuki belongs with Tohru Honda!"

"You do realize that the two of you are not even canon? It's preposterous!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GIRLS!?" I screamed in fear as they backed me up against the wall and ripped my shirt wide open. "Are you part of the Prince Yuki Fan Club?"

"Hell no, don't you dare mistake us for those pansies." The largest and most intimidating of the group informed me. "We're the Anti-Yaoi Fan Club, and we're here to tell you, buster, that we do not approve of this particular pairing!"

'And so it begins!' I thought as I was kicked to the floor and resigned myself to my doom.

"GET OFF OF HIM, YOU FREAKS!" A male voice bellowed through the crowd, and a moment later I was grabbed by the seat of my pants and hauled to my feet. "Get lost you goons!" Yun Yun's white haired cousin, Haru, said while glaring threateningly at the group of girls.

"Fine," the acne faced girl agreed, "but don't you forget, you're supposed to be with Rin!"

"Whatever!" Haru said before turning his attention to me. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks!" I told him while examining my torn shirt.

"So listen, I was actually looking for Yuki, you don't happen to know where I might find him?" Haru asked distantly.

"Yes, actually, you just missed him." I said, and it hit me that Haru could possibly be just the excuse I needed. "He's walking Machi to class, she's in 2D. If you'd like, I could show you where it is."

**MACHI **

'It isn't true.' I said to myself as we walked together towards D block, where both of our classes were. 'It's just some silly lie that annoying girl came up with to piss me off. Yuki isn't dating Kakeru. It couldn't be true. It simply couldn't be, and even if it was true, she said it was only one date. One date is nothing, right? I can still put a stop to it, can't I? Of course I can!'

"Watch out, Machi!" Yuki cried out and pulled me aside just as a soccer ball flew through the halls, bounced off the wall directly behind us, hit the floor in the exact spot I had just vacated, and ended up in Yuki's quick hands.

"Sorry about that, Princess." A red haired, second year boy called out as he rushed forward, grabbed the ball out of Yuki's fingers, and bowed apologetically.

"Don't call me Princess!" I said coldly, using the voice that I generally saved for my idiot half-brother.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't talking to you." The boy explained sweetly while peering up through his unnaturally long eyelashes and giving Yuki a seductive grin. "You're looking lovely this morning, Yuki." The boy said in a whisper, and Yuki's eyes went wide while his entire face turned scarlet.

"Cut it out, Dio!" Yuki said, and shoved the boy away. "You should know better than to play ball in the halls, you might hurt someone."

"You're right, Yuki. Sorry." The boy said with a flirtatious smile, and I felt my stomach turn. 'I can't believe it, that boy is flirting with him, and Yuki doesn't even realize it.'

"Just be more careful from now on." Yuki lectured while the boy stared up at him like a lovesick schoolgirl.

"I will Yuki." The boy agreed, and looked like he might have something more to say, but he never got a chance because Yuki grabbed me by the hand and led me up the hall.

"Sorry about that, Machi," Yuki said uncomfortably. "Dio's a friend of my cousin Momiji's. I've never seen him act that way before, though. I wonder what that princess nonsense was about?"

'I think it's kind of obvious, that boy has a crush on you.' I thought about saying, but instead, as always was the case when I was around Yuki, I remained silent.

"Here's your class." Yuki said as we rounded the corner. "Did say you needed to speak with me?"

"Yes, about that." I started nervously, and tried to decide how best to say what needed to be said. 'Just ask him,' I decided, and opened my mouth to do just that when I was distracted by a group of boys who were standing across the hall, staring our way and whispering.

"Shhh... There he is. He really is as pretty as a girl, isn't he?" I overheard one of the boys say, and looked to Yuki to see if he had heard as well. Judging by the embarrassed look on his face, I was certain that he had.

"He's actually prettier then any girl I've ever seen. Boy or not, I wouldn't kick him out of bed," another boy said.

"Yes, it's too bad he's already taken. He's just my type." A third boy, with dyed blond hair and striking, but fake, blue eyes said. I recognized the boy at once; he was Taketo, the first year transfer student that everyone had been talking about, the one that was rumored to be gay.

"Come on." Yuki said and pulled me down the hall, putting distance between his admirers and us. "I'm sorry about that, Machi. I'm afraid it's always been like this for me. People act so weird around me sometimes. So anyway, what did you want to speak about?"

"Well..." I started again, and was immediately interrupted again when Yuki's orange-headed cousin, Kyo Sohma, came barreling around the corner with one of his friends.

"That has to be the funniest thing I've ever heard." Kyo said with a loud chuckle, and then upon spotting us, smiled condescendingly.

"There's the little Fairy Princess now." Kyo said, and Yuki's eyes grew dark. Stepping away from me, he confronted his cousin.

"What's your problem, you idiot cat?" Yuki asked, causing Kyo to laugh even harder. "And why are you so happy? It's creepy seeing you laugh like that."

"Well it's not like I can help it. It's just so funny," Kyo said wickedly.

"What is? What?" Yuki asked irritably. Looking past him, I saw Kakeru heading our way with Yuki's cousin Haru in tow.

"I was just invited to join the Fairy Princess Yuki Fan Club," Kyo announced loudly. "But I had to turn them down because unlike you, I'm straight!"

"You bastard," Yuki said and grabbed Kyo by the collar of his shirt. "What in the hell are you going on about?"

"Don't get mad at me." Kyo said and pushed Yuki away. "It isn't my fault that your little secret got out. It's your own fault for running around kissing boys."

"What?" Yuki gasped, and I watched in sympathy as his air of annoyed superiority melted into a look of complete horror as the meaning of Kyo's words sunk in.

"Well it's true, isn't it Yuki?" Kyo continued and looked distastefully at my half-brother. "The whole school is talking about it. You're gay and he's your lover."

'So Kimi was right,' I realized. The uncomfortable look in Yuki's eyes coupled with the stressed out look on Kakeru's face was enough to assure me of the truth.

"Is it, Yuki?" Haru asked while grabbing Yuki's arm and dragging him away from Kyo. "Is what everyone's saying true?"

"Haru?" Yuki mumbled bewilderedly and peered around at the quickly growing crowd of onlookers.

"You told me you weren't gay, Yuki," Haru said bluntly. "Did you lie to me?"

"Haru, I'm n..." Yuki started to say, then looked to Kakeru and stopped talking.

"To think I've actually been worrying about Tohru and Akito all this time, thinking they were the reason..." Haru said crossly, his dark eyes glowing black with resentment.

"Haru, try to calm down." Yuki begged uncomfortably and pulled his arm away from his cousin's tight grasp. "This isn't the place to discuss this."

"Goddamnit Yuki, I have always been in love with you!" Haru yelled. Grabbing Yuki's chin in one hand and his waist in the other, he pushed him back against the wall while glaring coldly into his eyes. "And I knew you were in love with me, so why the fuck did you have to play with my feelings and lie to me?"

"Let him alone!" Kakeru said and quickly pushed himself between them.

"You stay the fuck out of this, if you don't I will kill you." Haru said calmly to my half-brother as he knocked him aside. "Now tell me, Yuki, are you gay? Are you really in love with him?" I noticed Yuki's cousin was now staring at Kakeru with a look I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. "I want you to admit it. Tell me you feel for him what you say you didn't feel for me." At that point, I knew things were much more complicated than just Yuki dating my brother.

"I'm..." Yuki mumbled quietly while staring around himself in distress. "Sorry, Haru, I... I can't." And then he sidestepped away from his cousin, shot through the crowd that had gathered around us, and ran away down the hall.

**YUKI **

'They know! Kyo, Haru, Machi, they know! Everyone knows! What did Kyo say? Everyone in the whole school is talking about it? Does that mean all my teachers know? That Tohru knows? It's unthinkable!'

Pushing through the school doors, I ran out into the snow and headed for home.

"YUKI! WAIT!" Kakeru called out from behind me. Ignoring him, I hit the street and continued to run.

'But how? How was it possible for everyone to know?' I wondered to myself as I flew down the road. 'Had someone seen us together, maybe last night at the coffee house, or worse, the park?'

It hit me so hard that I stopped in my tracks. "You idiot!" I cursed myself and laughed at my own stupidity. I was running in the wrong direction. I was running towards Shigure's house while the main house was the other way.

**MANABE **

'Damn, he's too fast!' I thought to myself as I chased Yuki down the road. 'And where the hell does he think he's going anyway? This is the way towards his old house. The place he lives now is in the opposite direction.'

Suddenly he stopped, and I smiled as I closed the distance between us.

"Yuki, are you all right?" I asked as I came up behind him, and he turned around to face me. He wasn't all right, how could he be? He looked hurt and confused, and he was laughing about something, and that was just plain fucked up.

"Not really." Yuki said, and then he dropped down on his knees in the snow. "How could this have happened?" Yuki asked and ran his hand through his hair unconsciously.

"I'm sorry, Yuki, this is all my fault." I blurted out what I felt was the most important thing, the only thing that really mattered at the moment, and sat down next to him in the snow. Yes, I had fucked up, and because of me Yuki had been yanked ungraciously out of the closet, but I didn't do it to hurt him. It was an accident and I was sorry... so completely sorry, so Yuki just had to forgive me. He cared about me, I was certain he did, so of course he would forgive me... right?

"It isn't your fault." Yuki said and smiled at me halfheartedly. "Someone must have seen us last night, Kakeru, someone must have seen us together in the park. We should have been more careful."

"It wasn't that, Yuki. Nobody saw us last night. It is my fault that everyone knows." I admitted quietly and stared into his eyes remorsefully.

"What are you saying?" Yuki asked in bewilderment while searching my eyes. "You wouldn't! Please Kakeru, tell me you didn't."

"I sort of..." I whispered while fighting the urge to look away from the awful mixture of uncertainty and pain that was growing within his beautiful violet eyes. "I told Kimi, Yuki, about us kissing, and I told her about our date. I told Kimi, and she sort of told everyone else."

In one dark burst Yuki's face transformed, all the pain and confusion vanished instantly to be replaced by rage and frustration.

"YOU TOLD KIMI?" Yuki blared at me while grabbing each of my shoulders in his hands. "WHY WOULD YOU THINK TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?"

"I screwed up." I admitted, and grimaced from the pain that the tight grip of his fingers was causing me. "Can you let go? You're hurting me."

"Oh..." Yuki realized, his face softening for only a moment as he pulled his hands back. "But why, Kakeru? Kimi of all people, you know how she is, what were you thinking?"

"I guess I wasn't." I mumbled and grabbed one of Yuki's hands between my own. "Kimi is my friend, and I thought I could trust her."

"Well, you were wrong." Yuki said quietly and yanked his hand away. "But then so was I, apparently, because I thought you were my friend, that I could trust you."

"Yun Yun," I gasped. "How could you say something like that? You know I'm your friend and you can trust me. Of course you can."

"I just don't understand, Kakeru," Yuki said and pulled himself to his feet. "Why tell Kimi, of all people?"

"I don't know, Yun Yun. I just did, and now I wish that I hadn't." I said, although inside my head a part of me, the part that was annoyed with him for pulling away from me, was whispering that Yuki had brought it all on himself. He was the one, after all, that had kissed me first. He was also the one who had left his phone for Kimi to find.

"But Kimi, Kakeru? You know what a gossip she is. It's like you wanted the whole school to find out," Yuki continued accusingly.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Yuki!" I said indignantly. "Stop acting like I planned all this."

"I didn't say that." Yuki said sullenly while offering his hand to me. "It is just a bit disturbing is all, having the entire school find out about us. I would really rather nobody knew," Yuki continued as I took his hand and pulled myself to my feet.

"What?" I said as the implications of Yuki's words sunk through my frozen skin. On one hand he had taken my hand and this was a sign that I might be forgiven, but on the other he had basically told me he was ashamed that people knew he was seeing me.

"I guess it doesn't really matter," Yuki said and smiled feebly, "just as long as Akito never finds out about us."

"Why?" I asked and looked into his eyes. "Would it really matter what he thinks?"

"Of course," Yuki said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" I asked again. Inside me, I feared I knew the answer... my suspicions about Yuki and his white haired cousin Haru had already been confirmed this morning....

"Because..." Yuki said and pulled his hand away again.

"Because, why?" I persisted.

"I don't want to talk about this, Kakeru." Yuki said angrily. "My family isn't what's important right now. What we need to talk about is us."

"I see." I said, and leaned forward, closer to him so I wouldn't miss his next response. "So is there any hope? For us, I mean?"

I saw it, knew his answer before he parted his lips and spoke the words in a gentle sigh.

"I'm not so sure, Kakeru. I think our being together might be a mistake."

It was over....

"A mistake?" I said as the sting from his words sunk into my brain and my protective instincts took over. "You're right, Yuki. My falling in love with you was surely a mistake, one I'm already starting to regret."

Fighting the desire to take back my hastily spoken words, I turned my back on him.

"Kakeru?" I heard him say softly, but I didn't turn around as I told him cruelly "Go home to your precious cousin Akito! What would the people at school think of 'THAT' relationship? It's disgusting. Well, he can have you. We're over. I never want to see you again!"

As I left Yuki standing alone and, I suspected, in tears, I heard his cel phone ringing. 'Well, at least that didn't break,' I thought to myself while fighting the desire to turn around. I wanted one last look at him, but knew that would only make things more difficult. 'You'll see enough of him in school, and that certainly isn't going to be easy, is it?' I realized and sucked back the pain that was building in my heart.

Since my house was in the same direction that Yuki would be walking, I decided I couldn't go home, so instead I headed for the warmth and safety of the coffee house. It would be better off, after all, that my aunt was the one to see me this way and not my mother. My mother would never understand, she'd just be pissed at me for leaving school without permission. My aunt, on the other hand, was open-minded and worldly. She would understand everything, even the fact that a boy had broken my heart, and perhaps she could even explain how to make this intolerable ache in the center of my soul go away.

**KURENO **

"How is he?" I asked as Hatori stepped into the hallway outside Akito's room where I was waiting with Shigure.

"Not good, I'm afraid." Hatori informed me. "As a result of Haru's attack, Akito is suffering from selective amnesia. He knows who he is and I have explained to him that he has been in an accident, but as you can imagine he is having a very hard time accepting everything. Shigure, were you able to get in touch with Yuki?"

"Yes, he was already on his way home. He turned down my offer of a ride, but promised he would be here shortly."

"He's still upset over what happened with Tohru, no doubt," Hatori said critically.

"Stupid kid," I uttered, gaining me a smile from Shigure and a curious look from Hatori. I am usually careful of what I say around my cousins, because staying silent is staying safe. What others don't know about you, they cannot use against you. Today, however, I was finding it difficult to keep things in. Akito's reaction, coupled with his accusations that I was a stranger and a pervert, had affected me profoundly. That Akito remembered Yuki, the selfish little rat who has avoided him for years, but did not remember me, the most loyal person in his life, was inexcusable.

"Can I see him?" Shigure asked before I had a chance.

"No," Hatori said. "It would only upset him. I'm sorry Shigure, but Akito doesn't remember you, or Kureno, or most of his cousins. I don't believe it will remain a permanent condition, but at the moment it might be better to re-introduce each of you to Akito gradually."

"He's forgotten me?" Shigure asked in surprise, and I was surprised to find myself feeling sorry for him. Akito loved Shigure, much in the same way that he loved me. In fact, I have always suspected that Akito favored Shigure over me, so I understood completely what Shigure was going through.

"He hasn't forgotten all of us." I said as I heard footsteps hurrying up the halls and knew even before he turned the corner and rushed towards us that Yuki had arrived.

"That is true. He remembers Yuki and wants very much to see him." Hatori confirmed, and then took a few steps up the hall towards Yuki.

"How is Akito?" I heard Yuki ask and watched as Hatori placed an arm around his shoulder and leaned down to speak quietly to him.

"We're obviously not needed here," I said resentfully and then started up the hall to the bedroom that was technically mine, but that I hadn't slept in for years. Once there, I changed into a pair of jeans and a warm sweater, grabbed a jacket, and headed out of the house to my car.

**MANABE **

"Yuki!" I mumbled and opened my eyes in confusion. As so often happened, I had fallen asleep on my favorite couch in the center of the coffee house and I had dreamed of him... of our first kiss. "Damn it," I said out loud, "it was only a dream."

"Excuse me." A low and somewhat sultry male voice said, and I peered up into the handsome face of Yuki's cousin, the one I had met on my trip to the main house... I think his name was Kureno.

"Yes?" I said drowsily, while sitting up hurriedly and wiping at my eyes.

"I was wondering if this seat was taken," Kureno asked and smiled beautifully.

"No." I said while looking around the coffee house and noticing that it was virtually empty, which meant there were plenty of other places this guy could sit. "It's not taken, please have a seat." Then I smiled. "I'm Kakeru Manabe, and if I'm not mistaken, you're Kureno Sohma, Yuki's cousin."

-------

End of chapter So ... anyway, let me know what you think. I am really excited about what I have planned for the upcoming chapters. This story really is a blast to write. I love working on it, because I just adore Kakeru, and Yuki, and Kureno... and, and.... Anyway, thanks for reading. I'll try to update soon.

YTR


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